Dyspepsia: Therapeutic response as a diagnostic tool

Non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) is a poorly defined heterogenous condition less well suited for the conventional randomized and placebo controlled parallel type trials. We have designed a multi cross-over model (MCO-model) with the facility of providing information about drug responses in individual patients. A pilot study suggested that the model may identify individual cimetidine responders among patients with dyspepsia. Preliminary findings from an ongoing study in patients with NUD supports the existence of a subgroup of cimetidine responders characterized by gastroesophageal reflux symptoms and possibly an increased basal acid secretion.