***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
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    Input: Goals To investigate the effectiveness and safety of mesalazine , with or without Lactobacillus casei , in preventing recurrence of symptomatic diverticular disease of the colon . Background Both mesalazine and probiotics showed recently their effectiveness in obtaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon . Consistent data are not available on the optimal therapy to prevent recurrence of symptomatic diverticular disease of the colon . Study Multicenter , prospect i ve , r and omized , open-label study . Ninety consecutive patients ( 36 men , 54 women , mean age 67.5 y , range 39 to 84 y ) , previously affected by symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon ( remission obtained with rifaximin 800 mg/d plus mesalazine 2.4 g/d for 10 d , followed by mesalazine 1.6 g/d for 8 wk ) , were enrolled in a 12-month follow-up . The following symptoms were assessed at entry and through follow-up by using a quantitative scale : ( 1 ) constipation , ( 2 ) diarrhea , ( 3 ) abdominal pain , ( 4 ) rectal bleeding , and ( 5 ) mucus with the stools . After recruitment , the patients were r and omly assigned to one of the following 3 groups : mesalazine 1.6 g/d ( group M ) , L. casei DG 16 billion/d for 15 d/mo ( group L ) ; mesalazine 1.6 g/d+L. casei DG 16 billion/d for 15 d/mo ( group LM ) . Results Eighty-five patients completed the study ( 94.5 % ) : 2 patients ( 2.22 % , 1 of group M and 1 of group LM ) were withdrawn from the study for protocol violation and 1 ( 1.11 % ) for hospital admission due to acute pulmonary disease ( group L ) ; 2 patients ( 2.22 % ) were lost to follow-up . Seventy-five patients ( 88.2 % ) were symptom free after the 12th month of treatment ( overall symptomatic score : ( 0 ) : 23/27 patients of group M [ on intention to treat : 76.7 % confidence interval ( CI 95 % : 61.5 to 91.8 ) ] , 23/29 of group L [ on intention to treat : 76.7 % ( CI 95 % : 61.5 to 91.8 ) ] , 29/29 of group LM [ on intention to treat : 96 % ( CI 95 % : 94.2 to 100 ) ] ( P<0.05 ) . Only 10 patients ( 11.1 % ) showed recurrence of symptoms ( overall symptomatic score : 68 ) . Conclusions Both mesalazine and L. casei DG seem to be effective in preventing recurrence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon , but their association seems to be more promising in this field Forty consecutive patients affected by recurrent attacks of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon were evaluated to investigate the effectiveness of 2 different mesalazine therapeutic schedules in preventing recurrence of the disease . The patients were r and omly enrolled and treated with mesalazine 1.6 g/d ( group A ) or mesalazine 1.6 g/d 10 days per month ( group B ) . Thirty-four patients completed the study ( 85 % ) : 3 ( 7.5 % , 1 in group A and 2 in group B ) were lost to follow-up , 2 ( 5 % , both group B ) were withdrawn from the study for protocol violation , and 1 ( 2.5 % ) for hospital admission for stroke ( group A ) . Twenty-three patients ( 67.65 % ) were symptom free after 24 months of treatment ( overall symptomatic score , 0 ) : 14 of 18 in group A ( per- protocol , 77.78 % ; intention to treat , 70 % [ 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 61.5–91.8 ] ) , 9 of 16 in group B ( per protocol , 56.25 % ; intention to treat , 45 % [ 95 % CI , 61.5–91.8 ] ; P < 0.05 ) . Four patients ( 10 % ) improved , but were not completely symptom free . Six patients ( 15 % ) showed recurrence of symptoms : 1 in group A ( 5.56 % ) and 5 in group B ( 31.25 % ; P < 0.005 ; overall symptomatic score , 68 ) . Daily mesalazine supplying seems to be more effective than cyclic supplying in maintaining remission in recurrent symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease To examine the association between  dietary fiber  ,  sources of fiber , other nutrients , and the diagnosis of  symptomatic diverticular disease , we analyzed data from a prospect i ve cohort of 47,888 US men . During 4 y of follow-up we documented 385 new cases of symptomatic diverticular disease .  Total dietary fiber intake  was inversely associated with the risk of diverticular disease after adjustment for age , energy-adjusted total fat intake , and physical activity [ relative risk ( RR ) 0.58 ; 95 % CI 0.41 , 0.83 ; P for trend = 0.01 for men in the highest as compared with the lowest quintile of dietary fiber ] . This inverse association was primarily due to fruit and vegetable fiber . For men on a high-total-fat , low-fiber diet , the RR was 2.35 ( 95 % CI 1.38 , 3.98 ) compared with those on a low-total-fat , high-fiber diet , and for men on a high-red-meat , low-fiber diet the RR was 3.32 ( 95 % CI 1.46 , 7.53 ) compared with those on a low-red-meat , high-fiber diet . These prospect i ve data support the hypothesis that a diet low in  total dietary fiber  increases the incidence of symptomatic diverticular disease . They also provide evidence that the combination of high intake of total fat or red meat and a diet low in total dietary fiber particularly augments the risk Bran from a Canadian Red Spring Wheat , of both a coarse and fine type , was compared with that from a French Soft Wheat , also with coarse and fine characteristics . The coarse type whether Canadian or French had the more significant effect on the stool weight , speeded the intestinal transit as measured by Hinton markers , and reduced intraluminal pressure in the colon more than did the fine types from the same sources in patients with diverticular disease . The texture of a bran may be important in relationship to its clinical efficacy We aim ed to improve symptoms by means of mesalazine in symptomatic colonic diverticular disease patients . One hundred seventy out patients ( 98 M , 72 F ; age , 67.1 years ; range , 39–84 years ) were assigned to four different schedules : rifaximin , 200 mg bid ( Group R1 : 39 pts ) , rifaximin , 400 mg bid ( Group R2 : 43 pts ) , mesalazine , 400 mg bid ( Group M1 : 40 pts ) , and mesalazine , 800 mg bid ( Group M2 : 48 pts ) , for 10 days per month . At baseline and after 3 months we recorded 11 clinical variables ( upper/lower abdominal pain/discomfort , bloating , tenesmus , diarrhea , abdominal tenderness , fever , general illness , nausea , emesis , dysuria ) , scored from 0 = no symptoms to 3 = severe . The global symptomatic score was the sum of all symptom scores . After 3 months in all schedules but Group R1 , 3 of the 11 symptoms improved ( P < 0.03 ) ; the global score decreased in all groups but Group R1 ( P < 0.0001 ) . Mesalazine-treated patients had the lowest global score at 3 months ( P < 0.001 ) . Mesalazine is as effective as rifaximin ( higher dosage schedule ) for diminishing some symptoms , but it appears to be better than rifaximin for improving the global score in those patients BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that gut flora may play an important role in the pathophysiology of the irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) . We evaluated rifaximin , a minimally absorbed antibiotic , as treatment for IBS . METHODS In two identically design ed , phase 3 , double-blind , placebo-controlled trials ( TARGET 1 and TARGET 2 ) , patients who had IBS without constipation were r and omly assigned to either rifaximin at a dose of 550 mg or placebo , three times daily for 2 weeks , and were followed for an additional 10 weeks . The primary end point , the proportion of patients who had adequate relief of global IBS symptoms , and the key secondary end point , the proportion of patients who had adequate relief of IBS-related bloating , were assessed weekly . Adequate relief was defined as self-reported relief of symptoms for at least 2 of the first 4 weeks after treatment . Other secondary end points included the percentage of patients who had a response to treatment as assessed by daily self-ratings of global IBS symptoms and individual symptoms of bloating , abdominal pain , and stool consistency during the 4 weeks after treatment and during the entire 3 months of the study . RESULTS Significantly more patients in the rifaximin group than in the placebo group had adequate relief of global IBS symptoms during the first 4 weeks after treatment ( 40.8 % vs. 31.2 % , P=0.01 , in TARGET 1 ; 40.6 % vs. 32.2 % , P=0.03 , in TARGET 2 ; 40.7 % vs. 31.7 % , P<0.001 , in the two studies combined ) . Similarly , more patients in the rifaximin group than in the placebo group had adequate relief of bloating ( 39.5 % vs. 28.7 % , P=0.005 , in TARGET 1 ; 41.0 % vs. 31.9 % , P=0.02 , in TARGET 2 ; 40.2 % vs. 30.3 % , P<0.001 , in the two studies combined ) . In addition , significantly more patients in the rifaximin group had a response to treatment as assessed by daily ratings of IBS symptoms , bloating , abdominal pain , and stool consistency . The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups . CONCLUSIONS Among patients who had IBS without constipation , treatment with rifaximin for 2 weeks provided significant relief of IBS symptoms , bloating , abdominal pain , and loose or watery stools . ( Funded by Salix Pharmaceuticals ; Clinical Trials.gov numbers , NCT00731679 and NCT00724126 . ) Background : Quality of life ( QoL ) is becoming a major issue in the evaluation of any therapeutic intervention . Aims : To assess the QoL in patients with uncomplicated symptomatic diverticular disease ( DD ) and to eluci date the influence of two different treatments either on symptoms or QoL. Material s and Methods : 58 out patients affected by uncomplicated symptomatic DD , admitted in our Gastroenterological Unit from October 2003 to March 2004 , were enrolled . Patients were r and omly assigned to two different treatments consisting of rifaximin or mesalazine for 10 days every month for a period of 6 months . QoL was evaluated by means of an SF-36 question naire and clinical evaluation was registered by means of a global symptomatic score ( GSS ) at baseline and after 6 months . Results : At baseline , lower values in all SF-36 domains were confirmed in patients with DD . Both rifaximin and mesalazine groups showed a significant reduction of their mean GSS ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.001 , respectively ) and improvement of SF-36 mean scores after therapy , even though treatment with mesalazine showed better results . Conclusions : DD has a negative impact on QoL. Cyclic treatment with poorly absorbable antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs relieves symptoms and improves Fifty-eight patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon took bran crispbread , ispaghula drink , and placebo for four months each in a r and omised , cross-over , double-blind controlled trial . Assessment s were made subjectively , using a monthly self-administered question naire , and objective ly , by examining a seven-day stool collection at the end of each treatment period . In terms of a pain score , lower bowel symptom score ( the pain score and sensation of incomplete emptying , straining , stool consistency , flatus , and aperients taken ) , and total symptom score ( belching , nausea , vomiting , dyspepsia , and abdominal distension ) fibre supplementation conferred no benefit . Symptoms of constipation , however , when assessed alone , were significantly relieved . Both fibre regimens produced the expected changes in stool weight , consistency , and frequency . It is concluded that dietary fibre supplements in the commonly used doses do no more than relieve constipation . Perhaps the impression that fibre helps diverticular disease is simply a manifestation of Western civilisation 's obsession with the need for regular frequent defecation In uncomplicated diverticular disease , treatment is aim ed at relieving symptoms . The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of mesalazine for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon . Two hundred sixty-eight consecutive eligible 
    Output:
    
: The treatment for diverticular disease relies mainly on data from uncontrolled studies .