Eating patterns in functional dyspepsia: a case control study.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether eating patterns differ between patients with endoscopically determined functional dyspepsia and non-dyspeptic controls. DESIGN: Case-control study (50 per group). A seven-day record of food consumption with time of food consumption was determined. SETTING: Endoscopy clinic, St. James' Hospital and the Clinical Nutrition Laboratory at the Trinity College Medical School. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Meal eating pattern and their temporal distribution; consumption of food categories and their temporal distribution; data for all subjects and for employed vs unemployed subjects. RESULTS: There was no evidence to suggest that the pattern of food and meal intake throughout the day was in any way influenced by endoscopically determined functional dyspepsia. CONCLUSION: The widely held belief that patients with functional dyspepsia eat differently to healthy controls to relieve or prevent symptoms of dyspepsia is not supported by these findings.