Long-term follow-up study of gastric emptying and Helicobacter pylori eradication among patients with functional dyspepsia

Studies on the influence of Helicobacter pylori gastritis on gastric motili ty have produced inconclusive results. We investigated the effect of Helico bacter pylori eradication therapy on gastric emptying in patients with func tional dyspepsia in a placebo-controlled double-blind study with one year f ollow-up. A standardized scintigraphic double-tracer examination was used. Of the 40 subjects, 29 were Ii pylori-positive patients with functional dys pepsia and 11 were asymptomatic control subjects. Gastric emptying paramete rs were: postlag 50% retention time for solids (T50), gastric emptying half -time for liquids (T1/2), solid lag duration, and intragastric distribution of solids, At baseline, the scintigraphic examination was performed for al l study subjects to detect any major alterations between dyspeptic patients and asymptomatic control subjects. Thereafter every patient was randomized to receive either Ii. pylori eradication therapy or placebo; in addition t hey also received omeprazole 20 mg once a day for three months to stabilize the acid suppression therapy. After one year scintigraphy was repeated for the patients. The solid lagtime was prolonged among dyspeptic patients com pared with asymptomatic controls (P = 0.02). After one year there was no si gnificant difference between ii pylori-eradicated and placebo-treated patie nts in any gastric emptying parameter. However, good reproducibility of the scintigraphic examination showing the gastric emptying rate of solids (r = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.07-0.69; P = 0.02) and liquids (r = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.09-0.6 9; P 0.02) continued even after one year of follow-up. In conclusion, eradi cation of Ii pylori has no impact on gastric emptying in patients with func tional dyspepsia, but the long-term trend in individual gastric emptying ra te is stable.