title: Efficacy of a herbal preparation in patients with functional dyspepsia: a meta-analysis of double-blind, randomized, clinical trials.
abstract: A meta-analysis was performed of double-blind, randomized clinical studies that evaluated the efficacy of the herbal preparation Iberogast in patients with functional dyspepsia. All studies had the same duration and used the same dosage of active treatment and the same primary outcome measure, a dyspepsia-specific gastrointestinal symptom score. Of the 592 trial participants, 196 were treated with Iberogast and 192 with placebo or cisapride (positive control). The individual studies all showed a substantial improvement of symptoms with Iberogast but varying results regarding its statistically significant superiority to placebo. The meta-analysis of all studies, however, demonstrated a clear, highly significant overall therapeutic effect of Iberogast in the treatment of functional dyspepsia. Tolerability of the preparation was excellent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pomeranian Medical Academy, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Karl-Josef
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gundermann
authors.forename: Erhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Godehardt
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ulbrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020117:Cisapride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C039964:iberogast; D020117:Cisapride