Setting and participants
infectious enteritis, cord lesion, digestive disorders, endocrine/metabolic disease, amyloidosis, poisoning, uremia, gastrointestinal suturing, treatment/medication, hypokalemia, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel movements, cancer of the digestive system, functional constipation, Constipation, neurological disease, renal disease, infectious disease, colorectal or anal stenosis, allergies, inflammatory bowel syndrome
INFECTIOUS ENTERITIS, DIGESTIVE DISORDERS, PARKINSON DISEASE, DIABETES MELLITUS, HYPOMAGNESEMIA, HYPERCALCEMIA, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, AMYLOIDOSIS, CEREBRAL INFARCTION, COLORECTAL CANCER, UREMIA, HYPOTHYROIDISM, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, HEPATIC DISEASE, GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE, BOWEL OBSTRUCTION, CANCER OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, SEVERE ANEMIA, SYSTEMIC SCLERODERMA, FUNCTIONAL CONSTIPATION, CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE, NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, DISEASE, RENAL DISEASE, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, ALLERGIES, GIANT
This study was conducted on outpatients attending the Department of Gastroenterology at the Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (i) male and female patients aged 65 years or older at the time of consent, (ii) patients diagnosed with functional constipation or constipated irritable bowel syndrome according to the Rome IV diagnostic criteria, (iii) patients who were diagnosed with a Constipation Scoring System (CSS) score of 6 or higher, and (iv) patients who provided written informed consent for participation in this study. The exclusion criteria were as follows: (i) organic constipation due to colorectal cancer, colorectal or anal stenosis, a rectal mass or rectal overload, pseudo bowel obstruction, or a giant rectum; (ii) neurological disease due to a spinal cord lesion, cerebral infarction, Parkinson disease, or multiple sclerosis; (iii) diabetes mellitus, hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypothyroidism, or uremia; (iv) use of opioids, anticholinergics, calcium channel blockers, anticonvulsants, psychotropic drugs, antispasmodics, histamine H1-receptor antagonists, or antiemetics; (v) amyloidosis, systemic scleroderma, or heavy metal poisoning; (vi) serious cerebrovascular disease, hepatic disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disease, endocrine/metabolic disease, an infectious disease requiring notification, a history of cancer of the digestive system, currently receiving treatment/medication for the disease, a history of major surgery in the digestive system such as gastrectomy, gastrointestinal suturing, or intestinal resection, or digestive disorders such as infectious enteritis or inflammatory bowel syndrome; (vii) the regular use of medications that affect their bowel movements (antibiotics, bowel control, antidiarrheals, etc.), or certain health foods and supplements (lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, oligosaccharides, dietary fiber, etc); (viii) significant abnormalities in blood pressure/blood tests, severe anemia, or allergies to drugs or foods; (ix) excessive smoking, regular use of alcohol, an irregular diet, an abnormal sleep cycle, or other lifestyle abnormalities; and (x) in addition to the above, the principal investigator may deem any patient to be ineligible.