Functional Dyspepsia, Peptic Ulcer, and Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Rural Community of South Asia: An Endoscopy-Assisted Household Survey

Epidemiology of Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction: An Appraisal of the Rome IV Criteria and Beyond

Disorders of the gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) are presently classified into mutually exclusive anatomical area-related symptom-based categories according to the Rome IV criteria. The pathophysiology of visceral nociception, which contributes to the wide range of symptoms of DGBIs, involves complex psychobiological processes arising from the bidirectional interactions of multiple systems at the gut and brain levels, which affect symptom expression and illness behaviors. The attitude toward an illness and expression of pain and bowel habit vary across cultures with variable interpretation based on sociocultural beliefs, which may not tally with the medical definitions. Thus, psychological factors impact DGBI definitions, their severity and health care utilization. Due to the poor localization and multisegment referral of visceral pain, the anatomical site of pain may not correspond to the affected segment, and there may be a variable degree of overlap among symptoms. The somewhat restrictively defined Rome IV criteria assume one-to-one correlation of symptoms with underlying pathophysiology and ignore overlapping DGBIs, nonstandardized symptom categories, and change or shift in category over time. The microorganic nature of DGBIs resulting from systemic, metabolic or motility disorders, gut dysbiosis and inflammation are not addressed in the Rome IV criteria. Although there is a multidimensional clinical profile that does address these factors, it is not followed rigorously in practice. Threshold changes for diagnostic criteria or addition/deletion of symptoms leads to wide variation among different DGBI criteria resulting in uncertain comparability of results. Although the Rome IV criteria are excellent for research studies and therapeutic trials in homogenous populations, further improvement is needed for their wider applicability in clinical practice.

Global prevalence of functional dyspepsia according to Rome criteria, 1990-2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Although functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common functional gastroduodenal disorder with a high socioeconomic burden, little is known about its global prevalence. Thus, we performed a comprehensive study to estimate long-term trends in the prevalence of FD. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar from 1990 to 2022 for population-based studies that reported the prevalence of FD in adults (≥ 18 years old) according to Rome I, II, III, or IV criteria. The prevalence of FD was extracted from included studies to obtain pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and 95% prediction intervals. Subgroup analysis was performed according to certain characteristics, including geographic region. A total of 44 studies met the eligibility criteria, including 256,915 participants from 40 countries across six continents. The overall global pooled prevalence of FD was 8.4% (95% CI 7.4-.9.5). The prevalence was the highest in Rome I (11.9%; 95% CI 5.1-25.4) and lowest in Rome IV (6.8%; 95% CI 5.8-7.9). Developing countries showed a higher prevalence than developed countries (9.1% versus 8.0%), and prevalence was higher in women, irrespective of the definition used (9.0% versus 7.0%). The pooled prevalence gradually decreased from 1990 to 2020 (12.4% [8.2-18.3] in 1990-2002 versus 7.3% [6.1-8.7] in 2013-2020). The prevalence of FD differs by country, economic status, geographical region, and sex, and the global prevalence has been gradually declining. Despite the heterogeneity of sample population, our study estimates the current global burden of FD and provides information to heath care policy decisions.

The Disease Spectrum and Natural History of Patients With Abdominal Bloating or Distension: A Longitudinal Study

Background/Aims

Abdominal bloating or distension (AB/D) is a common complaint in the outpatient of gastroenterology department. Since the potential contributors are numerous and complex, a longitudinal study on the disease spectrum and natural history of patients was performed to better understand the key factors of AB/D.

Methods

Consecutive patients with the chief complaint of AB/D referred to the outpatient clinic were screened. Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) were diagnosed according to Rome IV criteria. A 3-year follow-up was performed to seek for the changes in symptoms as well as disease spectrum.

Results

A total of 261 participants were enrolled and 139 completed the follow-up. Most patients suffered from moderate to severe symptoms more than 1 day per week. Common causes of AB/D were FGIDs (51.7%) and organic diseases (17.2%). The latter group was older with lower body mass index (BMI). Functional dyspepsia was the most common type of FGIDs in AB/D. The symptoms of 18.0% of participants failed to improve at the end of the 3-year follow-up, and those diagnosed with FGIDs were most likely to continue to suffer. Abdominal pain was a positive predictive factor for good prognosis in the FGIDs group. Besides, only 22.7% of participants had a consistent diagnosis of FGIDs during follow-up.

Conclusions

FGIDs are the most common diagnosis in patients with AB/D. Symptoms were especially hard to be improved. Classification diagnoses of FGIDs in AB/D patients fluctuated significantly over time.

Indian consensus statements on irritable bowel syndrome in adults: A guideline by the Indian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association and jointly supported by the Indian Society of Gastroenterology

The Indian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association (INMA), earlier named the Indian Motility and Functional Diseases Association developed this evidence-based practice guidelines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A modified Delphi process was used to develop this consensus containing 28 statements, which were concerning diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, etiopathogenesis and comorbidities, investigations, lifestyle modifications and treatments. Owing to the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, lockdowns and mobility restrictions, web-based meetings and electronic voting were the major tools used to develop this consensus. A statement was regarded as accepted when the sum of "completely accepted" and "accepted with minor reservation" voted responses were 80% or higher. Finally, the consensus was achieved on all 28 statements. The consensus team members are of the view that this work may find use in teaching, patient care, and research on IBS in India and other nations.

British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on the management of functional dyspepsia

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction, affecting approximately 7% of individuals in the community, with most patients managed in primary care. The last British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guideline for the management of dyspepsia was published in 1996. In the interim, substantial advances have been made in understanding the complex pathophysiology of FD, and there has been a considerable amount of new evidence published concerning its diagnosis and classification, with the advent of the Rome IV criteria, and management. The primary aim of this guideline, commissioned by the BSG, is to review and summarise the current evidence to inform and guide clinical practice, by providing a practical framework for evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of patients. The approach to investigating the patient presenting with dyspepsia is discussed, and efficacy of drugs in FD summarised based on evidence derived from a comprehensive search of the medical literature, which was used to inform an update of a series of pairwise and network meta-analyses. Specific recommendations have been made according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. These provide both the strength of the recommendations and the overall quality of evidence. Finally, in this guideline, we consider novel treatments that are in development, as well as highlighting areas of unmet need and priorities for future research.

What is the Prevalence of Clinically Significant Endoscopic Findings in Subjects With Dyspepsia? Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The prevalence of clinically significant endoscopic findings in people with dyspepsia and understanding how symptoms can predict endoscopic pathology can help inform dyspepsia guidelines. We evaluated this in an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from 2010 through to January 2022 to identify relevant articles. Eligible studies enrolled adults from the community, workplace, blood donation or screening clinics, family physician offices, or internal medicine clinics. Studies were required to report prevalence of dyspepsia and perform esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Prevalence of clinically significant endoscopic findings in subjects with and without dyspepsia was pooled for all studies and compared using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The data were pooled with those of the 9 studies included in the prior review.

RESULTS

Of 511 papers evaluated, 184 reported prevalence of dyspepsia. Fifteen reported prevalence of endoscopic findings among 41,763 participants (40.4% with dyspepsia). Erosive esophagitis was the most common abnormality (pooled prevalence, 11.0%; 95% CI, 8.9%-13.2%) followed by peptic ulcer (pooled prevalence, 4.4%; 95% CI, 2.5%-6.7%). The only finding encountered more frequently in individuals with dyspepsia, compared with those without, was peptic ulcer (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.08-2.39). More than 85% of EGDs were completely normal. Gastroesophageal cancer was rare (<0.4%) and equally prevalent among those with and without dyspepsia.

CONCLUSIONS

Erosive esophagitis was the most common clinically significant finding at EGD, whereas gastroesophageal cancers were rare. Most pathology, including esophagitis and cancer, were found in similar proportions in both groups. These findings support noninvasive approaches to managing dyspepsia in the community, with EGD reserved for those at high risk of malignancy.

Post-infection functional gastrointestinal disorders following coronavirus disease-19: A case-control study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Because acute infectious gastroenteritis may cause post-infection irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 affects gastrointestinal (GI) tract, coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) may cause post-infection-functional GI disorders (FGIDs). We prospectively studied the frequency and spectrum of post-infection-FGIDs among COVID-19 and historical healthy controls and the risk factors for its development.

METHODS

Two hundred eighty patients with COVID-19 and 264 historical healthy controls were followed up at 1 and 3 months using translated validated Rome Questionnaires for the development of chronic bowel dysfunction (CBD), dyspeptic symptoms, and their overlap and at 6-month for IBS, uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD) and their overlap. Psychological comorbidity was studied using Rome III Psychosocial Alarm Questionnaire.

RESULTS

At 1 and 3 months, 16 (5.7%), 16 (5.7%), 11 (3.9%), and 24 (8.6%), 6 (2.1%), 9 (3.2%) of COVID-19 patients developed CBD, dyspeptic symptoms, and their overlap, respectively; among healthy controls, none developed dyspeptic symptoms and one developed CBD at 3 months (P < 0.05). At 6 months, 15 (5.3%), 6 (2.1%), and 5 (1.8%) of the 280 COVID-19 patients developed IBS, UD, and IBS-UD overlap, respectively, and one healthy control developed IBS at 6 months (P < 0.05 for all except IBS-UD overlap). The risk factors for post-COVID-19 FGIDs at 6 months included symptoms (particularly GI), anosmia, ageusia, and presence of CBD, dyspeptic symptoms, or their overlap at 1 and 3 months and the psychological comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study showing COVID-19 led to post-COVID-19 FGIDs. Post-COVID-19 FGIDs may pose a significant economic, social, and healthcare burden to the world.

Current Treatment Options and Therapeutic Insights for Gastrointestinal Dysmotility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) have been re-named as disorders of gut-brain interactions. These conditions are not only common in clinical practice, but also in the community. In reference to the Rome IV criteria, the most common FGIDs, include functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Additionally, there is substantial overlap of these disorders and other specific gastrointestinal motility disorders, such as gastroparesis. These disorders are heterogeneous and are intertwined with several proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, such as altered gut motility, intestinal barrier dysfunction, gut immune dysfunction, visceral hypersensitivity, altered GI secretion, presence and degree of bile acid malabsorption, microbial dysbiosis, and alterations to the gut-brain axis. The treatment options currently available include lifestyle modifications, dietary and gut microbiota manipulation interventions including fecal microbiota transplantation, prokinetics, antispasmodics, laxatives, and centrally and peripherally acting neuromodulators. However, treatment that targets the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the symptoms are scanty. Pharmacological agents that are developed based on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying pathologies of these disorders might provide the best avenue for future pharmaceutical development. The currently available therapies lack long-term effectiveness and safety for their use to treat motility disorders and FGIDs. Furthermore, the fundamental challenges in treating these disorders should be defined; for instance, 1. Cause and effect cannot be disentangled between symptoms and pathophysiological mechanisms due to current therapies that entail the off-label use of medications to treat symptoms. 2. Despite the knowledge that the microbiota in our gut plays an essential part in maintaining gut health, their exact functions in gut homeostasis are still unclear. What constitutes a healthy microbiome and further, the precise definition of gut microbial dysbiosis is lacking. More comprehensive, large-scale, and longitudinal studies utilizing multi-omics data are needed to dissect the exact contribution of gut microbial alterations in disease pathogenesis. Accordingly, we review the current treatment options, clinical insight on pathophysiology, therapeutic modalities, current challenges, and therapeutic clues for the clinical care and management of functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis, irritable bowel syndrome, functional constipation, and functional diarrhea.

Moxibustion Regulates Gastrointestinal Motility via HCN1 in Functional Dyspepsia Rats

Background

Moxibustion therapy has been found to ameliorate clinical symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD). We aimed to examine the regulatory effect of moxibustion on the gastrointestinal (GI) motility in FD and explore the underlying mechanism based on the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel 1 (HCN1).

Material/Methods

Moxibustion therapy was used in FD rats induced by using classic tail-pinch and irregular feeding. Weight gain and food intake were recorded weekly, followed by detecting gastric residual rate (GRR) and small intestine propulsion rate (IPR). Next, western blotting was performed to determine the expression levels of HCN1 in the gastric antrum. qRT-PCR was used to detect HCN1 in the small intestine and hypothalamic satiety center. Double immunolabeling was used for HCN1 and ICCs in gastric antrum and small intestine.

Results

The obtained results suggested that moxibustion treatment could increase weight gain and food intake in FD rats. The GRR and IPR were compared among the groups, which showed that moxibustion treatment could decrease GRR and increase IPR. Moxibustion increased the expression of HCN1 in the gastric antrum, small intestine, and hypothalamic satiety center. Histologically, the co-expressions of HCN1 and ICCs tended to increase in gastric antrum and small intestine. Meanwhile, HCN channel inhibitor ZD7288 prevented the above-mentioned therapeutic effects of moxibustion.

Conclusions

The results of the present study suggest that moxibustion can effectively improve the GI motility of FD rats, which may be related to the upregulation of HCN1 expression in gastric antrum, small intestine, and satiety center.