Could a probiotic ease tummy troubles in seniors?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1.Diagnosis and Symptom Presentation: Participants must be diagnosed with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) according to Rome IV criteria, including but not limited to: 1. Functional constipation; 2. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); 3. Functional abdominal pain syndrome; 4. Participants must have clear intestinal dysfunction-related symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, difficulty in defecation, or changes in bowel habits, with organic gastrointestinal diseases excluded by clinical evaluation. 2.Age and Disease Duration: Participants aged 50-65 years, with relevant symptoms persisting for at least 6 months, and having inadequate response to prior conventional treatment. Conventional treatments include but are not limited to: antidiarrheal agents (e.g., loperamide), gastrointestinal motility regulators (e.g., pinaverium bromide, trimebutine), intestinal microbiota products, or other commonly used drugs to improve diarrhea or regulate bowel function. 3.Symptom Severity Assessment: Participants must have a total score of 10-20 on the functional bowel symptom scoring scale as specified in the study protocol (see Appendix). 4.General Condition and Compliance: Participants must be able to understand the study purpose, provide written informed consent, and comply with the study procedures, including scheduled visits and collection of blood and fecal samples. Exclusion Criteria: 1. History or current presence of organic gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastrointestinal malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), intestinal obstruction, or intestinal polyps. 2. Presence of serious systemic diseases, including severe cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases (e.g., myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension), significant liver or kidney dysfunction (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \>2× upper limit of normal, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \<45 mL/min/1.73m²), or uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c ≥9%). 3. Use of antibiotics, probiotics, or other drugs significantly affecting gut microbiota within 4 weeks prior to enrollment, or anticipated need to continue these drugs during the study. 4. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or those planning pregnancy during the study period. 5. Participation in other clinical trials within 3 months prior to enrollment. 6. Any other health conditions deemed unsuitable for participation by the investigator.