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  • Review Article
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Changes in gastrointestinal tract function and structure in functional dyspepsia

Abstract

Functional dyspepsia is an extremely common disorder of gastrointestinal function. The disorder is thought to be heterogeneous, with different pathophysiological mechanisms underlying varied symptom patterns. A diversity of changes in gastrointestinal tract function and structure has been described in functional dyspepsia. These involve alterations in the stomach, such as impaired accommodation, delayed gastric emptying and hypersensitivity, and alterations in the duodenum, such as increased sensitivity to duodenal acid and/or lipids and low-grade inflammation. In this Review, we summarize all these abnormalities in an attempt to provide an integrated overview of the pathophysiological mechanisms in functional dyspepsia.

Key Points

  • Functional dyspepsia is common and is associated with a high human and economic burden

  • Current therapies for functional dyspepsia are of limited effectiveness

  • Functional dyspepsia is thought to be a heterogeneous disorder, which is reflected by the wide diversity of symptoms seen in patients

  • Functional and structural changes in the stomach and duodenum are believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia

  • Further exploration of the pathophysiological mechanisms is important for the development of therapeutic strategies

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Figure 1: Schematic representation of the potential mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia.

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Acknowledgements

H. Vanheel is a doctoral and R. Farré is a postdoctoral research fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders—FWO.

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Vanheel, H., Farré, R. Changes in gastrointestinal tract function and structure in functional dyspepsia. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 10, 142–149 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2012.255

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