Cranberry Juice, Cranberry Tablets, or Liquid Therapies for Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review and Network...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect over 50% of women.
• Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern in UTI management.
• Non-drug interventions require clear evidence for efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cranberry juice, cranberry tablets, and increased fluid intake for UTI management.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of non-drug interventions for UTIs.
• To synthesize evidence on cranberry and fluid intake for UTI prevention.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
• Searches conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL.
• Outcomes assessed: UTI rates, UTI symptoms, and antimicrobial consumption.

Main Results:

• Cranberry juice showed a 54% lower UTI rate versus no treatment and 27% lower vs. placebo.
• Cranberry reduced antibiotic use by 49% vs. placebo and 59% vs. no treatment.
• Cranberry compounds reduced UTI symptom prevalence.

Conclusions:

• Evidence supports cranberry juice for UTI prevention with moderate to low certainty.
• Cranberry juice offers superior clinical outcomes compared to increased fluids alone.
• Cranberry juice should be considered for UTI management.