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Published on: May 12, 2019
Glutamine for chemotherapy induced diarrhea: a meta-analysis
Juxian Sun1, Hui Wang, Heping Hu
1Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Prophylactic glutamine supplementation can reduce the duration of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. However, this meta-analysis found no significant impact on diarrhea severity in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Chemotherapy often causes diarrhea, impacting patient quality of life.
- The effectiveness of glutamine for managing chemotherapy-induced diarrhea is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic glutamine in preventing or reducing chemotherapy-induced diarrhea.
- To synthesize evidence from randomized control trials (RCTs) on glutamine's role in managing chemotherapy side effects.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive meta-analysis of RCTs was performed.
- Searched Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and BIOSIS databases.
- Compared prophylactic glutamine versus placebo in chemotherapy patients, assessing diarrhea severity and duration.
Main Results:
- Eight RCTs involving 298 patients were analyzed (147 glutamine, 151 placebo).
- A statistically significant reduction in diarrhea duration was observed with glutamine (WMD: -1; 95% CI: -1.73 to -0.26).
- No significant difference in diarrhea severity was found between glutamine and placebo groups (WMD: -0.49; 95% CI: -1.36 to 0.39).
Conclusions:
- Glutamine supplementation effectively reduces the duration of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea.
- Glutamine does not appear to significantly improve the severity of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea.
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