Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40133662›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of biometeorology2025

Beneficial effects of thermal waters on respiratory diseases: a systematic review.

Mario Fontana, Matteo Vitali, Jole Del Prete, Salvatore Borzì, Angela Pozzoli, Katia Vitale, Andrea De Giorgi, Stefano Zanni, Serena Crucianelli, Carmela Protano

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of biometeorology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Mario FontanaDepartment of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7524-3395
Matteo VitaliDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1001-6343
Jole Del PreteDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Salvatore BorzìDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Angela PozzoliDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Katia VitaleDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Andrea De GiorgiDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2400-0408
Stefano ZanniDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4280-3341
Serena CrucianelliDepartment of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiological and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5012-7139
Carmela ProtanoDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy. carmela.protano@uniroma1.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7668-5809

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Respiratory diseases are extremely common conditions worldwide with a high social and economic impact. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the scientific evidence on the efficacy of thermal inhalation treatments to manage the signs and symptoms of all type of upper and lower respiratory diseases. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA recommendations. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO platform (ID: CRD42024510869). The bibliographic search was performed using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases without time limits up to January 2nd 2025. All experimental and semi-experimental studies conducted on humans, published in Italian and English, aimed to evaluate the effects of thermal inhalation treatments in the treatment of respiratory diseases were considered eligible. The quality of the studies was assessed using the CLEAR NPT scale. Overall, 27 studies were included, related to chronic and chronic-recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract diseases. The results agree on beneficial effects of thermal waters use, with an improvement in the sensation of nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, muco-ciliary transport time and lung function parameters. The therapeutic effects determined by thermal inhalation treatments is attributed to the composition and biochemical activity of the different waters, which lead, among other effects, to a regularization of the activity of the immune system. The results, although agreeing and encouraging, cannot be definitive due to the limitations of the studies included, especially their low quality and heterogeneity. Therefore, further clinical studies should be conducted using more appropriate methodologies, study designs and statistical analysis techniques.

Indexed as

Respiratory Tract DiseasesWaterHumansWaterCrenotherapyLower respiratory diseasesNatural springSystematic reviewThermal waterUpper respiratory diseases

Identifiers

PMID40133662
PMCPMC12003530

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.