Lactose breath test in adults: Are symptoms predictive of lactose malabsorption?

In adults with unexplained functional gastrointestinal symptoms, standardized symptom recording during lactose breath testing provides clinically useful context, with flatulence emerging as the most informative symptom for LM. Grading intolerance according to symptom severity effectively helps to identify lactose malabsorbers. Adding methane measurements may further improve diagnostic accuracy. Overall, these findings support an individualized diagnostic pathway that blends gas profiling with standardized symptom scoring-guiding targeted management while limiting unnecessarily restrictive diets.