Systematic Review of the Epidemiological Evidence on Helicobacter pylori Infection and Nonulcer or Uninvestigated Dyspepsia

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Abstract
DYSPEPSIA REFERS to persistent or recurrent discomfort in the upper abdomen, possibly accompanied by other symptoms such as bloating and nausea.1 It can occur after use of certain drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and with various structural abnormalities of the upper digestive tract, including peptic ulceration, hiatus hernia, reflux esophagitis, and neoplasia. In the general population, however, dyspepsia occurs more commonly in the absence of such diagnoses. If upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopic (and other) investigations are normal, the symptoms are called "nonulcer dyspepsia"; in the absence of endoscopic and other test results, the symptoms are simply called "uninvestigated dyspepsia."2 Estimates of the prevalence of dyspepsia in western adults generally range from 10% to 20%.3