Research Article
A Randomised, Cross-Over, Placebo-Controlled Study of Aloe vera in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Effects on Patient Quality of Life
Table 1
Baseline characteristics of the study population by randomisation group.
| | Description | Group | | | Aloe vera/Placebo | Placebo/Aloe vera | P-value |
| | Number | 55 | 55 | | | Sex (F : M) | 42 : 13 | 42 : 13 | .05 | | Mean age (SD) yr | 46.0 (13.6) | 47.0 (13.7) | .05 | | Mean weight (SD) kg | 73.1 (17.4) | 74.5 (16.6) | .05 | | Mean height (SD) cm | 164.4 (9.4) | 165.4 (10.3) | .05 | | Smokers, (%) | 10 (18) | 14 (26) | .05 | | Alcohol Y : N | 36 : 19 | 34 : 21 | .05 | | Employed, (%) | 32 (58) | 26 (47) | .05 | | Main IBS symptom, (%) | | | | | Pain | 19 (35) | 25 (46) | .05 | | Bloating | 6 (11) | 10 (18) | .05 | | Constipation | 7 (13) | 3 (6) | .05 | | Diarrhoea | 14 (26) | 12 (22) | .05 | | Alternating diarrhoea/ | 9 (16) | 5 (9) | .05 | | constipation | | | | | Approx length of symptoms | | | .05 | | per episode, (%) | | | | 0–3 days | 18 (33) | 16 (29) | | | 4–7 days | 9 (16) | 8 (15) | | | 7 days | 28 (51) | 31 (56) | | | Approx length of time | | | .05 | | between episodes, (%) | | | | 2 weeks | 48 (87) | 42 (76) | | | 2–4 weeks | 5 (9) | 9 (16) | | | 1 month | 2 (4) | 4 (8) | | | Fibre intake, (%) | | | .05 | | Low | 13 (24) | 12 (22) | | | Medium | 24 (44) | 26 (47) | | | High | 17 (32) | 17 (31) | | | Mean systolic blood | 132.2 (18.8) | 132.5 (17.8) | .05 | | pressure (range) mmHg | | | | | Mean diastolic blood | 83.2 (13.1) | 81.5 (11.0) | .05 | | pressure (range) mmHg | | | | | Mean heart rate (range) | 71.9 (10.8) | 74.1 (10.0) | .05 | | bpm | | | |
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