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Dyspepsia in healthy blood donors

Pattern of symptoms and association withHelicobacter pylori

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Abstract

WhetherHelicobacter pylori is causally linked to dyspepsia remains controversial. The aims of this study were to assess in healthy blood donors the prevalence of dyspepsia and dyspepsia subgroups, determine ifH. pylori is associated with different categories of dyspeptic symptoms, and evaluate the association between dyspepsia and nicotine, alcohol, and analgesic use. Consecutive blood donors (N=180) who had no clinical evidence of organic disease were included. Abdominal symptoms were measured by means of a standardized questionnaire that has been previously validated. Subjects with dyspepsia (defined as pain localized to the upper abdomen) were further subdivided into those with ulcer-like, dysmotility-like, reflux-like, or nonspecific dyspepsia. A total of 65 subjects reported abdominal pain or discomfort during the prior 12 months [36.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 29.1–43.1]; 44 subjects (24.4%, 95% CI 18.2–30.7) had dyspepsia. Dysmotility-like, reflux-like, and ulcer-like symptoms were reported by 19.4% (95% CI 13.7–25.2), 17.2% (95% CI 11.7–22.7), and 16.7% (95% CI 11.2–22.1) of subjects with dyspepsia, respectively. Fifty-seven subjects (31.7%, 95% CI 24.9–38.5) wereH. pylori positive; 26% of subjects withH. pylori and 24% withoutH. pylori had dyspepsia (P>0.50). The seroprevalence ofH. pylori was also similar among the different categories of dyspepsia. We conclude that infection withH. pylori is not associated with abdominal complaints in otherwise healthy subjects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Transfusion Medicine, University of Essen, Germany

    Gerald Holtmann, Harald Goebell, Marianne Holtmann & Nicholas J. Talley

  2. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Gerald Holtmann, Harald Goebell, Marianne Holtmann & Nicholas J. Talley

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Essen, Hufelandstr, 55, 45122, Essen, Germany

    Gerald Holtmann, Harald Goebell, Marianne Holtmann & Nicholas J. Talley

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  1. Gerald Holtmann
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  2. Harald Goebell
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  3. Marianne Holtmann
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  4. Nicholas J. Talley
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Supported by a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, grant number Ho 1193/3-1. Parts of this study were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association in Boston, May 1993 and published as an abstract (Gastroenterology 104:A102, 1993).

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Holtmann, G., Goebell, H., Holtmann, M. et al. Dyspepsia in healthy blood donors. Digest Dis Sci 39, 1090–1098 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087563

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