Quality of life in patients with heartburn but without esophagitis: effects of treatment with omeprazole.

Objective: Because improvement in quality of life (QoL) is an important therapeutic goal in patients with heartburn but without esophagitis, the aim of the present study was to compare the impact of omeprazole 20 mg or 10 mg daily with that of placebo on QoL in patients with heartburn as the predominant symptom.

Methods: QoL was measured at baseline and after 4 wk using two validated questionnaires, the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale.

Results: The two questionnaires were completed by 163 patients in the omeprazole 20 mg group, 163 in the omeprazole 10 mg group, and 82 in the placebo group.

One-week omeprazole treatment in the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Background: Symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux are common, and currently available methods for diagnosing reflux disease are expensive and uncomfortable for the patient. The diagnostic value of a treatment test with omeprazole is unclear.

Methods: Patients with dyspepsia including heartburn admitted for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were studied in a prospective, randomized, double-blind Scandinavian multicentre study.

Heartburn without oesophagitis: efficacy of omeprazole therapy and features determining therapeutic response.

Background: Data are limited on the value of effective antisecretory therapy in the relief of heartburn in patients without oesophagitis.

Methods: Patients with heartburn, without endoscopic signs of oesophagitis, were randomized to double-blind treatment with omeprazole, 20 or 10 mg once daily, or placebo, for 4 weeks (n = 509). Pre-treatment oesophageal acid exposure was assessed using 24-h intra-oesophageal pH monitoring.

Well-being and gastrointestinal symptoms among patients referred to endoscopy owing to suspected duodenal ulcer.

Background: Few studies have evaluated quality of of life (QoL) in patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases, and there is a lack of validated measures for use in gastroenterology.

Methods: The applicability and relevance of self-administered questionnaires such as the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index and the Gastrointestinal Symptoms referred to endoscopy because of suspected duodenal ulcer were evaluated.

Results: In total, 1526 patients with suspected duodenal ulcer were screened for inclusion in a clinical study.

Quality of life in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. An improved evaluation of treatment regimens?

There is growing interest in measuring quality of life (QoL) in medicine. Together with objective variables such as healing rate, as recorded with endoscopy, this is believed to give a better basis for evaluation of treatment regimens in patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases. A strategy for the assessment of QoL in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms is presented here.