Table 5.
Results of included studies conducted in elderly people (Mean values and standard deviations)
| Study | Condition | Duration of treatment (months) | Treatments | Age (years) | Number randomised (included in the analysis) | Percentage of females | Number (%) of participants with at least one illness episode | Number of illness episodes | Duration of illness episodes (d) | Number of days of illness | Number of days absent | ||
| Mean | sd | Mean | sd | Mean | sd | Mean | sd | ||||||
| Guillemard et al. ( 25 ) | Upper RTI | 3 | Actimel (Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. casei DN-114001+Streptococcus thermophilus+ L.delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) | Median 76·0 | 537 (535) | 63·1 | 61 (11 %) | 120 | 7·7 | 7·2 | 8·5 | 7·2 | NR |
| Placebo | Median 76·0 | 535 (535) | 62·2 | 66 (12 %) | 135 | 11·0 | 7·7 | 11·6 | 7·9 | NR | |||
| Turchet et al. ( 17 ) | CID* | 3 | Milk-fermented yogurt culture and L. casei DN-114001 | 67·1 | 6·0 | 180 (180) | Overall 67 | 52 (29 %) | NR | 7·0 | 3·2 | NR | NR |
| No treatment | 69·3 | 5·6 | 180 (180) | Overall 67 | 50 (28 %) | NR | 8·7 | 3·7 | NR | NR |
CID, common infectious diseases; RTI, respiratory tract infections; NR, not reported.
*
CID included upper RTI, lower RTI and gastrointestinal tract infections.