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The Safety of Pharmacotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
June 2025 • Jonathan A. Busam, Nisha Batta, Eric D. Shah, LiJin Joo, Caroline Marshall, Ali Rezaie, Mark Pimentel
INTRODUCTION: Understanding the safety of pharmacotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) enables individuals to make informed treatment decisions. While many studies include the number needed to treat to highlight therapeutic benefits, adding the number needed to harm (NNH), a measure we evaluate herein, could enable more comprehensive risk-benefit assessments. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched through October 2024. Clinical trials investigating IBS pharmacotherapies includi…