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Cranberry Products Show Promise in Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

Written by Andrew Le, MD

UpdatedNovember 13, 2024

A recent systematic review and network meta-analysis has provided evidence that cranberry juice may effectively prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially in comparison to no treatment or placebo liquids. This study, published in 'European Urology Focus' and led by Christian Moro and his team, examined the potential benefits of cranberry juice, cranberry tablets, and increased fluid consumption as non-drug interventions for UTI management.

Full article available at www.sciencedirect.com and journal homepage: www.europeanurology.com/eufocus.

Background and Objective:

UTIs are common bacterial infections affecting over half of all women each year, and the rising antimicrobial resistance challenges current antibiotic treatments. Thus, exploring effective non-drug interventions has become crucial. This study aimed to compare the impacts of various cranberry products and increased fluid consumption on UTI management.

Methods:

The research team from various institutions, including Bond University in Australia and the University of Helsinki in Finland, searched databases like PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL for randomized controlled trials. They analyzed outcomes such as the number of UTIs, UTI symptoms, and antibiotic usage, employing the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation for evidence certainty.

Key Findings:

Out of 20 trials comprising 3091 participants, the findings showed that cranberry juice consumption led to a 54% lower rate of UTIs compared to no treatment and a 27% lower rate than placebo liquids. Furthermore, cranberry juice was associated with a 49% lower rate of antibiotic use compared to placebo, indicating the benefit of cranberry intake in reducing antibiotic dependency.

Conclusions and Clinical Implications:

The study concludes that cranberry juice, with moderate to low certainty, can be beneficial for preventing UTIs. This is particularly important given the increasing number of UTIs resistant to antibiotics. Incorporating cranberry compounds and increased fluid intake as part of UTI management is recommended for better clinical outcomes.

Patient Summary:

As the threat of antimicrobial-resistant UTIs grows, alternative non-drug treatment options become essential. Current evidence supports using cranberry products and boosting fluid intake for managing UTIs.

The study [Moro et al., 2024] suggests that cranberry products, especially in liquid form, show promise in preventing UTIs and reducing the need for antibiotics, offering patients and clinicians a potential alternative avenue for managing this prevalent condition. Further research with a high level of certainty is needed to confirm these findings and refine recommendations.

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References

Moro, C., Phelps, C., Veer, V., Jones, M., Glasziou, P., Clark, J., ... & Scott, A. M. (2024). Cranberry Juice, Cranberry Tablets, or Liquid Therapies for Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. European Urology Focus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euf.2024.07.002