Nutrient drinking test a promising biomarker in functional dyspepsia

A satiety drinking test (SDT) shows potential as a diagnostic biomarker in functional dyspepsia (FD), indicating gastric accommodation (GA), reports a recent study, noting that further studies are warranted to confirm its role as a predictor for treatment outcome in FD.

The investigators summarized the state of knowledge on different DTs and their potential as a biomarker for FD. They searched the databases of PubMed and Medline for English-language articles, reviews, meta-analyses, case series, and randomized controlled trials, as well as published meeting abstracts.

Identified studies have characterized several DTs, such as different type of liquid, number of calories used, pace of drinking, and patient’s awareness of the amount of liquid drunk. Patients with FD ingested significantly less volume in the different variants of these tests.

The most consistent separation between health and FD and the association with GA was demonstrated by studies on slow nutrient or SDT, but sensitivity to distention appeared to be associated with rapid DT. Moreover, SDTs were used to examine the impact of some pharmacological agents and reflected harmony between their effects on GA and tolerated nutrient volume.

Such association was not found for agents with central actions.

“FD is a prevalent condition with multifactorial pathophysiology, including impaired GA, hypersensitivity to gastric distention, and delayed gastric emptying,” the investigators said. “DTs have been proposed as a potential biomarker for the presence and severity of gastric sensorimotor dysfunction.”