FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Polyethylene glycol is a safe and efficacious long-term treatment for chronic constipation, even among the elderly, according to a report published in the July issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Jack DiPalma, M.D., of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Ala., and colleagues randomized 306 subjects with chronic constipation to receive either polyethylene glycol 3350 (17 grams/day) or a placebo for six months. The goal of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of polyethylene glycol treatment.
Fifty-two percent of subjects in the polyethylene glycol group reported relief of constipation symptoms for at least half of the treatment period (the primary efficacy endpoint), compared to 11 percent of the placebo group. Similar findings were observed among the 75 patients aged 65 or older. The treatment group reported a mean of 5.4 satisfactory bowel movements per week (2.7 for the placebo group), with a dramatic improvement in the fraction of weeks without straining (63.6 percent vs. 20.1 percent) or hard stools (73.3 percent vs. 29.2 percent). The treatment group reported more gastrointestinal complaints (mostly mild to moderate) than did the placebo group (39.7 percent vs. 25 percent).
"This study supports the conclusion that polyethylene glycol laxative is safe and effective for treating constipation in adult and elderly patients for up to 6 months," the authors wrote.
The authors of this study were either employees or paid advisers of Braintree Laboratories, the manufacturer of polyethylene glycol 3350.
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