Abstracts

BACKGROUND: No specic etiology can be identified in patients with a form of dyspepsia known as functional or nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD). One of the “unidentified” causes of NUD might be insufficient gastric hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion. OBJECTIVE: To test the ability of inositol hexaniacinate (IHN) to reduce symptoms of NUD among subjects with insufficient gastric hydrochloric acid (HCl), as determined by Gastro-Test® pH measurements above 3. DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: The Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic, the outpatient clinic of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (North York, Ontario). INTERVENTION: Twenty-three subjects with Gastro-Test® pH results above 3 were randomly allocated to either IHN (1782 mg/day) or placebo groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire, Gastro-Test® pH measurements, compliance with the study protocol, and adverse events related to taking IHN and/or placebo capsules. RESULTS: There was a non-significant (i.e., non-statistical) trend towards a total Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire score decrease in the treatment group compared to the control group as evaluated by a random effect models (p = 0.08). Using a multivariate linear regression model adjusting for potential confounders, no significant interactions were found between fasting gastric pH levels and the intervention (p > 0.20). CONCLUSION: IHN might be a promising treatment for NUD, but further investigation is required. The total Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire score did not correlate with gastric pH as measured by the Gastro-Test®. This finding was potentially the result of operator inexperience with the Gastro-Test® procedure.