Mosapride treatment for functional dyspepsia: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by persistent upper abdominal symptoms.
• Assessing the efficacy of prokinetic agents like mosapride is crucial for managing FD.
• Previous studies on mosapride for FD have yielded inconsistent results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the therapeutic effect of mosapride in patients diagnosed with functional dyspepsia.
• To analyze data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine mosapride's efficacy.
• To identify potential sources of heterogeneity in existing research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted for RCTs published between 2002 and 2013.
• Symptom response rates were extracted and analyzed using risk ratios (RRs) with a random-effects model.
• Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and statistical tests.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 13 RCTs involving 1091 mosapride-treated patients and 1129 controls found no significant overall effect (RR: 0.999, P=0.992).
• A sensitivity analysis of high-quality RCTs suggested a potential benefit (RR: 1.114, P=0.029).
• Studies using Rome III criteria or those with funding sources showed varied results, indicating heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence does not support a significant therapeutic effect of mosapride for functional dyspepsia.
• Heterogeneity in diagnostic criteria and outcome assessments contributes to inconsistent findings.
• Future research should employ standardized outcomes and high-quality RCTs to ascertain mosapride's true efficacy in FD.