Rifaximin plus fibre versus fibre alone in preventing diverticulitis recurrence: A (problematic) trial to tackle an epidemiologically relevant problem

摘要

Diverticular disease is a common clinical condition, with age-related increasing incidence and very high frequency in the elderly. The disease may be asymptomatic, but recurrent diverticulitis is a common complication, often requiring hospitalization. Therefore prevention of recurrent diverticulitis in patients at risk is a relevant clinical objective, to reduce disease-related morbidity, mortality and costs. In the present issue of Digestive and Liver Disease, Lanas et al. investigate the possible effect of rifaximin plus fibre versus fibre alone in preventing a recurrence of colonic diverticular disease (i.e. diverticulitis) [1]. This topic has already been considered in different series mainly involving participants with uncomplicated colonic diverticular disease for whom an appropriate therapeutic regimen remains to be defined [2-5].