Predominant symptom behavior in patients with persistent dyspepsia during treatment.

Background: Grouping of patients based on a predominant dyspeptic symptom is frequently employed in management strategies for dyspepsia. Such subdivision, however, suggests that dyspeptic symptom patterns are constant over time.

Objective: To investigate the behavior of symptoms over time and to study the effects of diagnostic procedures and treatment on the pattern and severity of dyspeptic symptoms.