Effect of Korean Herbal Medicine Combined with a Probiotic Mixture on Diarrhea-Dominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Table 1
Characteristics of the patients and the baseline adequate relief*, bowel function scores**, symptom scores**, and IBS quality of life scores**.
Variables
GJS+DUO ()
GJS+DUO-P ()
GJS-P+DUO ()
GJS-P+DUO-P ()
value
Mean age (SD)
49.6 (14.3)
47.5 (13.6)
47.1 (10.5)
47.5 (16.0)
0.959
Mean BMI (SD)
22.8 (3.6)
22.3 (3.8)
22.9 (3.0)
23.3 (3.2)
0.684
Male (%)
73.3
62.5
50.0
76.5
0.415
Smoking (%)
20.0
25.0
18.8
17.6
0.974
Drinking (%)
80.0
56.3
62.5
52.9
0.423
Adequate relief (%)
15.4
25.0
13.3
0.0
0.243
Bowel function score
Frequency
15.54 (8.60)
13.64 (7.07)
15.00 (7.08)
12.23 (5.42)
0.646
Consistency†
1.66 (1.02)
0.87 (0.61)
1.13 (0.76)
1.31 (0.91)
0.079
Ease of passage‡
1.04 (1.09)
1.19 (0.74)
1.30 (0.80)
1.21 (0.69)
0.326
Symptom score (mm)
Abdominal pain
38.49 (20.40)
31.04 (17.73)
40.48 (17.60)
32.37 (22.24)
0.554
Abdominal discomfort
39.65 (20.17)
34.82 (19.72)
43.87 (17.54)
36.82 (17.44)
0.638
Bloating
39.11 (21.20)
30.12 (17.25)
40.35 (19.95)
35.47 (20.95)
0.554
Flatulence
36.04 (16.72)
27.41 (15.63)
38.57 (17.07)
32.96 (20.51)
0.400
Urgency
38.97 (18.34)
34.58 (18.73)
44.33 (14.59)
38.44 (13.62)
0.507
Mucus in stool
36.65 (20.83)
26.43 (18.28)
37.50 (17.77)
35.31 (19.64)
0.416
Overall symptom
46.90 (23.24)
36.77 (18.24)
51.08 (12.98)
43.40 (14.15)
0.209
Overall IBS quality of life
52.00 (29.14)
42.21 (22.49)
54.92 (24.78)
41.00 (18.26)
0.366
GJS: Gwakhyangjeonggisan, DUO: Duolac7S, GJS-P: placebo of Gwakhyangjeonggisan, DUO-P: placebo of Duolac7S. Baseline values were analyzed by Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and one-way ANOVA for continuous variables.
*Adequate relief is presented as the percentage of the number answering “yes” to AR question/total number.
**Bowel function, symptom, and IBS quality of life scores are presented as mean (standard deviation). †Used a scale of 1–7: 1, watery stool; 7, hard, lumpy stool (based on Bristol stool form scale). ‡Used a scale of 1–7: 1, fecal incontinence; 7, manual disimpaction.
