Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. Currently, anti-gastric drugs, gastric acid inhibitors, prokinetic drugs, and mucosal protective drugs are widely used in FD patients, however, only a small proportion of patients benefit from these...

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Main Authors: Lina Cao, Gaozhong Li, Jingmei Cao, Fuxin Li, Wei Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/17562848241311129
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author Lina Cao
Gaozhong Li
Jingmei Cao
Fuxin Li
Wei Han
author_facet Lina Cao
Gaozhong Li
Jingmei Cao
Fuxin Li
Wei Han
author_sort Lina Cao
collection DOAJ
description Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. Currently, anti-gastric drugs, gastric acid inhibitors, prokinetic drugs, and mucosal protective drugs are widely used in FD patients, however, only a small proportion of patients benefit from these drugs. Studies reported mirtazapine may improve symptoms of FD patients but the efficacy and safety of mirtazapine in the treatment of FD is unclear. Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of mirtazapine in FD patients. Design: We performed a prospective, single-randomized, two-group parallel clinical trial involving 120 FD patients with poor traditional drug treatment outcomes to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mirtazapine. Methods: Qualified patients identified through the screening assessments were randomly divided into two groups: mirtazapine group ( n  = 60) treated with mirtazapine 15 mg qn on top of traditional drugs, and control group ( n  = 60) who continued to be treated with traditional drugs. Subjects were evaluated for meal-related symptoms and severity, quality of life, gastrointestinal-specific anxiety, and body weight before and after the 8-week intervention. Adverse reactions were also recorded. Results: At the end of 8-week treatment, dyspeptic symptoms in the mirtazapine group were significantly relieved compared with the baseline (7.95 ± 1.86 vs 11.17 ± 2.14, p  < 0.001). Assessment of the impact of dyspepsia on patients’ quality of life from the short form-Nepean Dyspepsia Index showed that patients generally feel better in mirtazapine group than control group (24.52 ± 2.87 vs 28.64 ± 4.32, p  < 0.001). Mirtazapine group also showed significant weight gain and decreased visceral sensitivity index score. Conclusion: Compared with control group, 8-week administration of mirtazapine significantly improved the overall severity of symptoms of dyspepsia (such as individual symptoms of postprandial fullness, early satiation, nausea, and vomiting), gastrointestinal-specific anxiety, quality of life, and increased weight in FD patients. This study provided clues to clinicians that mirtazapine may be a good choice for the treatment of FD patients. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Chinese clinical trial registry ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.html , protocol No. ChiCTR2100048304).
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spelling doaj-art-67be9ed62ef740b9a26a0e06271221262025-01-03T16:03:53ZengSAGE PublishingTherapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology1756-28482025-01-011810.1177/17562848241311129Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patientsLina CaoGaozhong LiJingmei CaoFuxin LiWei HanBackground: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. Currently, anti-gastric drugs, gastric acid inhibitors, prokinetic drugs, and mucosal protective drugs are widely used in FD patients, however, only a small proportion of patients benefit from these drugs. Studies reported mirtazapine may improve symptoms of FD patients but the efficacy and safety of mirtazapine in the treatment of FD is unclear. Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of mirtazapine in FD patients. Design: We performed a prospective, single-randomized, two-group parallel clinical trial involving 120 FD patients with poor traditional drug treatment outcomes to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mirtazapine. Methods: Qualified patients identified through the screening assessments were randomly divided into two groups: mirtazapine group ( n  = 60) treated with mirtazapine 15 mg qn on top of traditional drugs, and control group ( n  = 60) who continued to be treated with traditional drugs. Subjects were evaluated for meal-related symptoms and severity, quality of life, gastrointestinal-specific anxiety, and body weight before and after the 8-week intervention. Adverse reactions were also recorded. Results: At the end of 8-week treatment, dyspeptic symptoms in the mirtazapine group were significantly relieved compared with the baseline (7.95 ± 1.86 vs 11.17 ± 2.14, p  < 0.001). Assessment of the impact of dyspepsia on patients’ quality of life from the short form-Nepean Dyspepsia Index showed that patients generally feel better in mirtazapine group than control group (24.52 ± 2.87 vs 28.64 ± 4.32, p  < 0.001). Mirtazapine group also showed significant weight gain and decreased visceral sensitivity index score. Conclusion: Compared with control group, 8-week administration of mirtazapine significantly improved the overall severity of symptoms of dyspepsia (such as individual symptoms of postprandial fullness, early satiation, nausea, and vomiting), gastrointestinal-specific anxiety, quality of life, and increased weight in FD patients. This study provided clues to clinicians that mirtazapine may be a good choice for the treatment of FD patients. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Chinese clinical trial registry ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.html , protocol No. ChiCTR2100048304).https://doi.org/10.1177/17562848241311129
spellingShingle Lina Cao
Gaozhong Li
Jingmei Cao
Fuxin Li
Wei Han
Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology
title Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
title_full Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
title_fullStr Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
title_full_unstemmed Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
title_short Randomized clinical trial: the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
title_sort randomized clinical trial the effects of mirtazapine in functional dyspepsia patients
url https://doi.org/10.1177/17562848241311129
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