| Abstract: | Many physiological factors can alter gastricemptying, and the role of gastric emptying in functionaldyspepsia is controversial. The aim of this study was toassess the effects of different factors (age, sex, the degree of dyspeptic and irritablebowel symptoms, lactase deficiency, smoking habits, theuse of antiinflammatory drugs, and H. pylori gastritis)on gastric emptying in patients with functional dyspepsia. The study population consisted of 83patients with functional dyspepsia and 11 controlsubjects who underwent a standardized scintigraphicexamination to study gastric emptying. This studydetected no difference in gastric emptying betweendifferent subgroups with functional dyspepsia. Therewas, however, a slight tendency for delayed gastricemptying among patients with functional dyspepsiacompared to controls. Intragastric distribution of thesolid content was more distally located in smokers, andthe solid lagtime was prolonged among antiinflammatorydrug users. The gastric emptying of liquids was delayed among older patients. The subgroupingof dyspeptic symptoms is of minor importance withrespect to gastric emptying. Habitual smoking and theuse of antiinflammatory drugs are potent factors able to alter the gastric emptying of solids, butthe role of H. pylori seems to be lessimportant. |
