Optimizing Treatment Strategies for Functional Dyspepsia
Study Objective: To assess the efficacy of three regimens of maintenance therapy, using rabeprazole, in patients who have achieved clinical remission of functional dyspepsia (FD). Materials and Methods: We examined 80 patients with FD who were diagnosed using the Rome III Diagnostic Criteria. At the time of inclusion, all patients had clinical remission and a history of recurrent dyspepsia (more than 3 episodes within the past 6 months). All patients underwent a standard examination and self-assessed the intensity of their dyspeptic symptoms, using the Likert rating scale. Depending on the treatment method and the regimen used in the study, patients were divided into four equal groups: Group 1 received rabeprazole every day at a dose of 10 mg/day, Group 2 received rabeprazole every day at a dose of 20 mg/day, Group 3 received rabeprazole at a dose of 20 mg/day (on demand), and Group 4 received antacids and prokinetic agents (on demand). The treatment lasted 3 months. Study Results: The study showed that a 3-month maintenance treatment with rabeprazole significantly reduced the frequency of dyspepsia recurrences and the intensity of dyspeptic symptoms. Rabeprazole 10 mg/day and 20 mg/day helped maintain clinical remission in 70% and 80% of patients with FD, respectively. Conclusion: In patients with FD, a 3-month course of rabeprazole 10 mg/day or 20 mg/day reduces the frequency of dyspepsia recurrences and the intensity of dyspeptic symptoms more significantly than prokinetic agents and antacids; this difference is statistically significant.