News: Low-FODMAP diet can provide greater relief of postprandial dyspepsia symptoms, study finds
Adults with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) who followed a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) were found to experience greater symptom relief and improved quality of life over 6 weeks than those who followed traditional dietary advice, according to a recent study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Prior evidence offers limited guidance on the dietary management of PDS. Researchers conducted a randomized trial at a United Kingdom hospital to compare a low-FODMAP diet with traditional dietary advice in adults who met Rome IV criteria for PDS and had normal findings on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
The low-FODMAP diet involved restricting fermentable carbohydrates, whereas traditional dietary advice involved eating small, frequent meals and eliminating caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages, and high-fat or spicy foods.
The primary endpoints was a clinically meaningful reduction in the PDS subscale on the Leuven Postprandial Distress Scale, reported by the participants at six weeks. The response was assessed using two thresholds: ≥ 0.5 points (indicating a minimally important clinical difference) and ≥ 0.7 points (indicating a more stringent response).
Overall, participants following a low-FODMAP diet reported:
- Greater reductions in postprandial distress scores
- Greater relief from early satiety, fullness, pain, and belching
- Higher rates of adequate relief
- Greater improvements in quality of life and reductions in overall gastrointestinal symptoms than those following traditional dietary advice
Secondary endpoints included:
- Self-reported changes in quality of life
- Gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal somatic symptoms
- Achievement of adequate relief from dyspeptic symptoms
"Based on the convergent evidence from our study and recent publications, we recommend that a low FODMAP diet be considered as a second-line dietary approach in PDS, particularly for patients who have not responded to traditional dietary modifications," the authors wrote.
Editor’s note: To read the full study, click here. To read additional coverage from Medscape, click here.