The Use of Probiotics in Different Phases of Diverticular Disease

Background & aims Diverticular Disease (DD) is a common clinical condition with a dramatic increasing of the prevalence among industrialized countries. Based on the most used classification, DD may be divided into asymptomatic diverticulosis, symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and complicated diverticular disease. Since recent studies pointed out the role of GUT microbiota imbalance in promoting diverticular formation and inflammation, we have designed a systematic review focusing on the possible role of probiotics in the management of this condition. Methods According to PRISMA, we identified studies on DD patients treated with probiotics, by searching on Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and ResearchGate. Results 13 studies were included in this review based on our selection criteria: 3 double-blind randomized placebo-controlled, 6 open randomized, and 4 non-randomized open studies. Conclusion This is the first systematic review providing an updated measure of evidence on the efficacy of probiotics in a different phase of DD. Even though the majority of studies are still preliminary, current data show a possible clinical application of certain probiotic strains in all stages of DD. Further investigation is then required to better understand when and how probiotics can be used in different phases of DD.