Impaired drinking capacity in patients with functional dyspepsia: Relationship with proximal stomach function

Background & Aims: Impaired fundic: accommodation to a meal and hypersensit ivity to distention are increasingly recognized as important mechanisms und erlying functional dyspepsia (FD). In the present study, we evaluated wheth er a drink test can predict such abnormalities and thus represent a noninva sive tool to study proximal stomach motor function. Methods: Healthy volunt eers (HV), nonconsulters with mild dyspeptic symptoms (MS), and patients wi th FD filled out a disease-specific questionnaire and underwent a drink tes t with either water or with a high calorie fluid. The maximal ingested volu me and the subsequent symptoms were meticulously recorded. In addition, all subjects underwent a gastric barostat study assessing meal-induced relaxat ion and sensation to distention. Results. Drinking capacity was not signifi cantly related to any particular dyspeptic symptom. FD were able to consume less water (893 +/- 70 ml.) and calorie liquid (767 +/- 50 mL) compared wi th HV (water, 1764 +/- 120 mL; caloric liquid, 1308 +/- 96 mL) or MS (water , 1645 +/- 120 mL; caloric liquid, 973 +/- 45 mL). Approximately half of th e FD had an abnormal water or Nutridrink test compared with 9% of MS and 4% of HV. Furthermore, FD developed. significantly more symptoms than MS or H V after both drink tests. The drinking capacity did not predict impaired fu ndic accommodation or visceral hypersensitivity. Conclusions. FD, but not M S, have an impaired drinking capacity to both water and a nutrient liquid. The drinking capacity is not related to a specific dyspeptic symptom and do es not predict proximal stomach motor function.