[Characteristic of eating behavior in functional dispepsy]

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Endocrinology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder impacting lifestyle and nutrition.
• A comprehensive understanding of how food behavior, adipose tissue distribution, and appetite-regulating hormones influence FD symptoms is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of eating behaviors, ghrelin, and leptin levels on clinical symptoms in different types of functional dyspepsia.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 90 participants (90) divided into postprandial distress syndrome (PDS), epigastric pain syndrome (EPS), and healthy control groups.
• Utilized GSRS and DEBQ questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, and serum enzyme immunoassay for ghrelin and leptin quantification.

Main Results:

• EPS patients exhibited more severe symptoms, particularly abdominal pain, compared to PDS and controls.
• Both FD types showed disordered eating behaviors, with an external eating type prevalent in PDS.
• PDS patients had higher visceral adipose tissue; both FD groups displayed lower leptin and higher ghrelin levels than controls.
• Factor analysis linked emotional eating behaviors to increased GI symptoms, higher leptin, and lower ghrelin.

Conclusions:

• Distinct FD variants are associated with specific eating patterns, fat distribution, and altered ghrelin/leptin levels, which correlate with clinical manifestations.
• Personalized management of functional dyspepsia can be achieved by identifying and addressing these individual factors.