A new study shows no effect from treating people with healthy gut flora from donors. "This is a treatment that should not be offered for IBS," says researcher.
“There was no difference between those who received treatment from healthy donors and those who received a placebo,” physician and researcher Peter Holger Johnsen tells Aftenposten.(Photo: Rune Stoltz Bertinussen, Krysspress)
“One in ten people in Norway has IBS (irritable bowel syndrome, editor’s note). It can involve severe abdominal pain, reduced quality of life, and effects on both physical and mental health,” Peter Holger Johnsen tells NTB. He is a senior consultant at the University Hospital of North Norway.
He is one of the authors of the study, which tested one of the treatments used for IBS: introducing stool from healthy donors into patients’ intestines. The idea was that the new material would improve the recipient’s gut flora.
Several previous studies, including this oneand this smaller study, have suggested that faecal transplantation could be effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome.
The new Norwegian study included 450 people. One group received stool from a donor, while a control group received their own stool.
All participants were followed for 12 months to determine whether the donor treatment had any effect on IBS symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and constipation.
"There was no difference between those who received treatment from healthy donors and those who received a placebo," Johnsen tells Aftenposten.
Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is both offered and sought after in Norway and other countries.
"The study shows that this is a treatment that should not be offered for irritable bowel syndrome, either in the public or private healthcare sector, because we found no effect," says Johnsen.
FMT is both offered and sought after in Norway and other countries.(Stock photo: Shutterstock / NTB)
"I think they are devastated now"
The Norwegian Gastrointestinal Association contributed to the study and recruited participants.
"I think those who have been following the study are devastated now. Many people with IBS currently do not receive satisfactory treatment and follow-up," secretary general Mads Johansson tells NRK.
"But the study is still very important and provides valuable knowledge. Finding effective treatment for IBS is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. We now have more pieces in place and can better determine where to go from here," he adds.
Many patients spend a lot of money on private treatment
Elisabeth K. Steinsvik is acting senior consultant in gastroenterology at Haukeland University Hospital and has written a book on the digestive system.
"The findings are surprising. But the study is important because many people spend a lot of money to have this treatment done privately," Steinsvik tells Aftenposten.
She believes the study is large and robust enough that there is no longer a basis for recommending this type of treatment for IBS patients.
