SIGNIFICANCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIAAND PEPTIC-ULCER DISEASE IN GREECE - A COMPARATIVE PROSPECTIVE STUDY

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the significance of factors such as age, sex, family history, educational status, residenc e area, H. pylori antral colonization, smoking, alcohol consumption, c offee and cola drinking in Greek patients suffering from functional dy spepsia (FD), duodenal ulcer (DU), and gastric ulcer (GU). The study g roups were chosen among consecutive outpatients who had undergone an u pper gastro-intestinal (GI) endoscopy during a ten-month period becaus e of dyspepsia, and who completed a suitable questionnaire; 295 patien ts aged 18-85 years (M: 185, F: 110) were finally included as follows : 54 patients aged 18-80 years (M: 21, F: 33) with FD, 166 aged 19-85 Sears (M: 117, F: 49) with DU, and 75 aged 24-85 years (M: 47, F: 28) with GU. As controls for FD patients, 54 previously studied, healthy n on-dyspeptic people, well matched for age and sex, were used. No diffe rences were found between them and FD patients. On the contrary, we fo und that the 3 groups of patients differed significantly for age (p = 1.07 x 10(-3)) and sex (p = 1.67 x 10(-4)) distribution. There was a r ather even age distribution and a discrete female predominance in the FD group. Positive family history for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) was f ound in 19 % of patients with FD as compared with 48.2 % (DU) and 37 % (GU) (p = 4.84 x 10(-4)). Significantly more patients with PUD were s mokers (p = 6.16 x 10(-3)) and alcohol drinkers (g = 1.84 x 10(-4)). H . pylori antral colonization was found in 61 % of patients with FD as compared with 74 % (GU) and 85 % (DU) (p = 8.65 x 10(-4)) of patients. Finally, factors such as educational level, area of residence, and co la drink consumption did not differ in the studied groups of patients.