title: Effect of probiotics on glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate the effects of probiotics on glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online databases Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched until August 2014 to identify eligible articles. Finally, 7 trials were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Probiotic consumption significantly changed fasting plasma glucose (FPG) by -15.92mg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI], -29.75 to -2.09) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by -0.54% (95% CI, -0.82 to -0.25) compared with control groups. Subgroup analysis was conducted to trials with non-yogurts control. Meta-analysis of trials with multiple species of probiotics found a significant reduction in FPG (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -35.41mg/dL, 95% CI: -51.98 to -18.89). The duration of intervention for ≥8 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in FPG (WMD: -20.34mg/dL, 95% CI: -35.92 to -4.76). Subgroup analysis of trials with species of probiotics did not result in a significant meta-analysis effect. Furthermore, the duration of intervention <8 weeks did not result in a significant reduction in FPG. The results also showed that probiotic therapy significantly decreased homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin concentration (WMD: -1.08, 95% CI: -1.88 to -0.28; and WMD: -1.35mIU/L, 95% CI: -2.38 to -0.31, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present meta-analysis suggests that consuming probiotics may improve glucose metabolism by a modest degree, with a potentially greater effect when the duration of intervention is ≥8 weeks, or multiple species of probiotics are consumed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: 18061986120@189.cn.
authors.forename: Qingqing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yucheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fei
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006801:Humans; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
keywords: Diabetes; Glucose; Meta-analysis; Probiotics