Health Citizens – European Research Institute

Tag: Functional dyspepsia

  • Neuromodulating agents in functional dyspepsia: a comprehensive review

    Neuromodulating agents in functional dyspepsia: a comprehensive review

    Functional dyspepsia is a frequent chronic condition characterized by upper abdominal discomfort without an identifiable organic cause. Usual first-line treatments include proton pump inhibitors or Helicobacter pylori eradication, but many patients continue to have persistent symptoms. Because of this, neuromodulating agents are frequently used in clinical practice, although current European, American and Canadian guidelines primarily mention tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).

    This review analyzed randomized controlled trials in adults meeting Rome criteria or with normal endoscopy findings. Out of 386 studies screened, 14 met inclusion criteria.

    The findings indicate that TCAs, such as amitriptyline and imipramine, show the strongest evidence of benefit for symptom relief in functional dyspepsia. Other agents, including tetracyclic antidepressants, levosulpiride, and anxiolytics, may be helpful, but current data are insufficient to draw firm conclusions. By contrast, SSRIs and SNRIs do not appear effective for this condition.

    Learn more about this review here: https://doi.org/10.51821/86.1.10998

    Reference

    Bosman, L., Wauters, L., & Vanuytsel, T. (2023). Neuromodulating agents in functional dyspepsia: a comprehensive review. Acta gastro-enterologica Belgica, 86(1), 49–57

  • Association of mental health conditions and functional gastrointestinal disorders among Vietnamese new-entry medical students

    Association of mental health conditions and functional gastrointestinal disorders among Vietnamese new-entry medical students

    Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), sometimes called disorders of gut–brain interaction, do not affect only older people, they are also common in young adults. A study among 400 first-year medical students in Vietnam investigated how these gut disorders relate to mental health.

    About 10% of students had an FGID such as functional dyspepsia or irritable bowel syndrome, and 3% had overlapping conditions including acid reflux. Depression and anxiety were also frequent, with around 10% showing signs of major depressive disorder and 7% showing generalized anxiety disorder. Helicobacter pylori infection was detected in 45% of participants.

    The key finding was that depression was strongly associated with gut disorders. Students with major depressive disorder were much more likely to have FGIDs and overlapping gastrointestinal problems than students without depression.

    Interestingly, in this study, this risk was also greater in women.

    These results support the strong link between mental health and digestive symptoms in young adults, highlighting the importance of screening and early support for both areas in student populations.

    Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289123

    Reference

    Tran, T. T. T., Luu, M. N., Tran, L. L., Nguyen, D., Quach, D. T., & Hiyama, T. (2023). Association of mental health conditions and functional gastrointestinal disorders among Vietnamese new-entry medical students. PloS one, 18(7), e0289123.

  • The Psychotic Impact of Helicobacter pylori Gastritis and Functional Dyspepsia on Depression: A Systematic Review

    The Psychotic Impact of Helicobacter pylori Gastritis and Functional Dyspepsia on Depression: A Systematic Review

    The clinical practice of adding antidepressant drugs to the therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, in addition to the standard drug regimen, has been widely considered in recent years but its specific role in this treatment is still unclear.

    In this systematic review researchers tried to establish if there is an association between H. pylori gastritis and depression and to further analyze the therapeutic effect of antidepressants on symptomatic relief in gastritis. For that, they analyzed randomized clinical trials, cross-sectional and prospective studies, and review articles that examined H. pylori infection, depression, functional dyspepsia, and antidepressant treatment. They focused especially on patients whose digestive symptoms did not improve even after successful H. pylori eradication.

    Across the studies, a clear pattern emerged: patients with ongoing functional dyspepsia after H. pylori treatment often improved when they were given antidepressants, even when standard eradication therapy alone had not worked. However, the authors highlight that more research is needed before this approach becomes routine medical practice.

    Learn more about this review here: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.5956

    Reference

    Al Quraan A M, Beriwal N, Sangay P, et al. (October 21, 2019) The Psychotic Impact of Helicobacter pylori Gastritis and Functional Dyspepsia on Depression: A Systematic Review. Cureus 11(10)

  • Correlation between social factors and anxiety-depression in function dyspepsia: do relationships exist?

    Correlation between social factors and anxiety-depression in function dyspepsia: do relationships exist?

    A research study conducted on the Chinese population in 2014 aimed at evaluating the prevalence and the social factors linked to anxiety and depression in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). This study included 907 patients with FD who attended a gastroenterology service.

    Despite being a hospital-based study, results showed that patients with functional dyspepsia had higher anxiety and depression scores when compared to data from the general population. They also found that a higher prevalence of A/D was observed in women, older individuals, those with lower socioeconomic status (lower wages, lower education levels), and those with more stressful jobs, making these aspects risk factors for the development of A/D. Interestingly, they found no differences in relation to family history.

    Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.5114/pg.2014.47897

    Reference

    Huang, Z., Yang, X., Lan, L., Liu, T., Liu, C., & Li, J. et al. (2014). Correlation between social factors and anxiety-depression in function dyspepsia: do relationships exist?. Gastroenterology Review/Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny, 9(6), 348-353.