Quality of life in patients with functional dyspepsia: a prospective 1-year follow-up study in Spanish patients.
OBJECTIVE
The natural history of functional dyspepsia is not well known. We prospectively assess the quality of life and severity of symptoms in a group of Spanish patients with functional dyspepsia.


METHODS
One hundred and twelve consecutive patients with functional dyspepsia, according to Rome II criteria, were prospectively followed up for 1 year. All patients completed symptom (Dyspepsia Questionnaire and the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale) and quality of life [the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) Index and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)] questionnaires every 3 months. Only free antacid consumption was permitted during the study period.


RESULTS
The group was made up of 81 women and 31 men with a mean age of 45 +/- 17 years; 66% of patients were infected with Helicobacter pylori, and ulcer-like dyspepsia (53%) was the predominant subgroup. At baseline, quality of life scores were low (PGWB, 87.1 +/- 17.6 and GHQ, 20.6 +/- 11.8), but these values gradually improved during the year of follow-up (PGWB, 107.7 +/- 1.1 and GHQ, 8.9 +/- 0.4). Digestive symptoms also decreased. In the multivariate analysis, the anxiety score on the PGWB index (Wald, 5.2; P = 0.02) and smoking status (Wald, 4.3; P = 0.04) were predictors of end quality of life. At baseline, patients with a high level of anxiety had a very reduced quality of life, although their symptom scores were similar to other patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life is reduced in patients with functional dyspepsia. Some improvement in quality of life together with a decrease in the severity of symptom scores was seen during the 1 year of follow-up. We believe that both the reassurance of negative endoscopy and the scheduling of visits to the doctor favourably influence the quality of life.
Gutiérrez
Ana
A
Gastroenterology Unit, Hospital Virgen Blanca, León, Spain.
Rodrigo
Luis
L
Riestra
Sabino
S
Fernández
Eloy
E
Cadahia
Valle
V
Tojo
Rafael
R
Fuentes
Dolores
D
Niño
Pilar
P
Olcoz
Jose Luis
JL
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000863:Antacids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
D000863:Antacids