The Effect of Ursodeoxycholic Acid on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial.
PubMed 32422942 · doi:10.3390/nu12051410
What was done
Twenty-four patients diagnosed with functional dyspepsia (FD) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) via lactulose breath test (LBT) were randomly assigned to either oral ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; 100 mg three times daily) or an untreated control group monitored for two months. Outcomes were evaluated after two months using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-K for symptoms and repeat LBT for gas levels.
What was found
Dyspeptic symptoms significantly decreased from baseline in the UDCA-treated group and differed significantly from the untreated group at two months. In addition, total methane gas levels over 90 minutes during the LBT were significantly reduced from baseline in the UDCA group. The abstract did not report exact numerical scores, gas measurements, variance, or p-values.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary evidence that UDCA may reduce methane-producing bacterial overgrowth and relieve dyspeptic symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.
Limits
The sample size was very small (n = 24). The control arm was untreated rather than placebo-controlled, introducing high risk of bias for subjective symptom reporting. The abstract reports no numerical values, hydrogen gas outcomes are not described, and long-term durability is unknown.
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