Comparison of effectiveness of a food supplement product versus Fosfomycin in the treatment of female recurrent urinary tract infections: Preliminary results of a multicenter comparative observational study.

Introduction an objective:Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a significant health concern with high costs and poor quality of life (QoL) impact. Managing recurrent UTIs (rUTI) in women requires effective treatments that relieve symptoms and reduce recurrence, while also sparing antibiotics due to rising resistance. This study evaluates the efficacy of a nutritional supplement in reducing UTI recurrences and improving QoL compared to antibiotic therapy.Materials and methods:The study compared the effectiveness of a dietary supplement (containing D-mannose, Palmitoylethanolamide, N-acetylcysteine, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Hibiscus extract) with a low dose of Fosfomycin in treating recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) in women. Both treatments were administered for 6 months, with clinical and microbiological evaluations at 3 and 6 months. Quality of life and patient satisfaction were assessed using specific questionnaires. Fosfomycin was given every 10 days, while the supplement was taken for 14 days each month.

Results

The study involved 55 patients in the nutritional supplement group (NGroup) and 34 in the Fosfomycin group (FGroup). In the NGroup, the average age was 62.2 years, with a BMI of 27.2. UTIs significantly decreased from 1.87 at baseline to 0.51 at 3 months and 0.28 at 6 months (p < 0.001). Few mild gastrointestinal side effects were reported. Quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction both improved significantly. In the FGroup, the average age was 62.9 years, with a lower BMI of 23.5. UTIs also decreased from 2.68 at baseline to 0.87 at 3 months and 0.67 at 6 months (p < 0.001). No side effects were reported. QoL improved, but satisfaction declined significantly. Both groups showed similar improvements in UTI frequency and QoL, but the Fosfomycin group had lower satisfaction overall.