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Background and Objective: After distinguishing the role of Helicobacter Pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer, some hypothesis were brought up about the probable interference of this germ in dyspepsia. This study was done in order to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori infection in persons conflicted with dyspepsia, attended in 5th Azar Hospital in Gorgan during 8 months (From 2001/Mar/21 to 2001/Nov/22). Materials and Methods: In this research, 270 patients with diagnosis of dyspepsia were endoscopic based on clinical examinations and paraclinical studies and after ruling out of erosive gastrodeodenitis and peptic ulcer, two biopsy samples were taken from antrum. Then, the samples were put in urea rapid test environment media. The required time for positive response was 15 minutes but to be completely sure about it, urea environment media consisted of biopsy samples were maintained for 2 hours. Any color changes during this time were considered as positive response. Results: Among 270 patients conflicted with dyspepsia 136 patties were male and 134 were female with age average of 40.9% Y/O. The patients with Helicobacter Pylori infection were 139 (51.5%) and the ones without infection were 131 (48.5%), and age averages were 44.4 Y/O and 37.3 Y/O, respectively. The prevalence of dyspepsia subgroups were as follows: Ulcer like 53.7%, reflux like 31.1%, non specific 9.6%, and dismotility like 5.6%, and the prevalence of infection among dyspepsia subgroups were as follows: Ulcer like 62.02%, reflux like 40.47%, non specific 46.15%, and dismotility like 20%. Other risk factors in these patients were as follows: Cigarette smoking 25.6%, NSAID 16.3% and alcohol drinking 4.1%. Conclusion: This study suggests that Helicobacter Pylori infection can have a role in formation of dyspepsia.

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Background and Objective: Although lifestyle-related factors have separately been examined in relation to functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), there is no epidemiologic data on the combined association of lifestyle factors with these conditions. We aimed to examine how combinations of several lifestyle factors were associated with functional dyspepsia (FD), its symptoms and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a large group of Iranian adults.

Methods: This descriptive -analytic study was conducted on 3363 Iranian adults (19-70 yr), whom were working in 50 health centers across Isfahan province in Iran during 2012. We used easy non-random sampling to select participants. The “healthy lifestyle score” for each participant was calculated by summing up the binary score given for five lifestyle factors, including dietary habits, dietary intakes, psychological distress, smoking and physical activity. A dish-based 106-item semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire, General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire and other pre-tested questionnaires were used to assess the components of healthy lifestyle score. A validated Persian version of ROME III questionnaire was used, to assess functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Results: The prevalence of FD and GERD among study participants was 14.5 and 23.6%, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found that individuals with the highest score of healthy lifestyle had 79 and 74% lower odds of FD (95% CI: 0.05-0.92, OR: 0.21, P=0.03) and GERD (95% CI: 0.09-0.69, OR: 0.26, P=0.01), respectively, compared with those with the lowest score. They were also less likely to have early satiation (95% CI: 0.11-0.73, OR: 0.28, P=0.001), postprandial fullness (95% CI: 0.09-0.50, OR: 0.22, P<0.001) and epigastric pain (95% CI: 0.21-0.92, OR: 0.44, P=0.03). In addition to the combined healthy lifestyle score, low levels of psychological distress, a healthy diet, healthy dietary habits and non-smoking were separately associated with FGIDs (P<0.05).

Conclusion: This study showed that adherence to a healthy lifestyle was associated with lower odds of GERD, FD and its symptoms in this group of Iranian adults. Individual lifestyle-related factors were also associated with these conditions.

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Background and Objective: Clarithromycin-based quadruple treatment is a common treatment regimen for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in Iran. However, its success rate has been unsatisfactory in recent years due to increasing antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to compare the two treatment regimens, i.e., furazolidone and clarithromycin, for H. pylori eradication.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical retrospective study was conducted on the medical records of 100 symptomatic patients (54 females and 46 males; mean age=45.86±11.97 years) confirmed with H. pylori infection via urea breath test (UBT) or rapid urease test (RUT), who presented to Shahid Sayyad Shirazi Educational-Therapeutic Center in Gorgan, Iran, for endoscopy during 2019. Patients had been treated for two weeks with one of two routine oral quadruple drug regimens based on furazolidone and clarithromycin. The first quadruple drug regimen included bismuth subnitrate 240 mg twice daily, clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily, omeprazole 20 mg once daily, and amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily. The second quadruple drug regimen involved bismuth subnitrate 240 mg twice daily, furazolidone 200 mg twice daily, omeprazole 20 mg once daily, and amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily. H. pylori eradication rates were determined using a stool antigen test in patients who completed the entire course of treatment (four weeks after the end of the treatment regimen).
Results: The eradication rates for the furazolidone-based and clarithromycin-based quadruple regimens were determined to be 98% and 94%, respectively, showing no statistically significant difference. The odds ratio for H. pylori eradication was not statistically significantly associated with age, gender, or treatment regimen type.
Conclusion: Both two-week furazolidone-based and clarithromycin-based quadruple regimens were effective in eradicating H. pylori, with neither regimen demonstrating superiority over the other.