Original paper
Analysis of dyspeptic symptoms among patients with ischaemic heart disease

Introduction: Patients with ischaemic heart disease need to be chronically treated with medicines, often from the time of diagnosis until the end of life. The gastrointestinal tract as the first part of pharmacokinetics is under the negative influence of these drugs. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and degree of dyspeptic symptoms in a group of patients with ischaemic heart disease (treated and not treated with coronaroplastics) compared to a control group, and to analyse prevalence of symptoms degree after the use of various groups of cardiologic drugs and in terms of treatment duration. Material and methods: One hundred patients with diagnosed ischaemic heart disease (group I of patients – treated by coronaroplasty; group II – patients treated only by pharmacology), 50 patients from the control group. Patients filled in the questionnaire. Results: Symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract (especially abdominal pain and heartburn) were statistically significant more often observed among patients treated due to ischaemic heart disease than in the control group (54% from group I, 56% from group II, 26% from group III). No statistically significant differences were observed between groups I and II. Among 100 patients treated due to ischaemic heart disease 37 (37%) symptoms were more severe after implementation of cardiologic drugs. There were no statistically significant differences in prevalence of different groups of medicines among patients with an increase in symptoms whereas patients with an increase in symptoms were treated statistically longer. Conclusions: 1. Symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract (especially abdominal pain and heartburn) were statistically significantly more often observed among patients treated due to ischaemic heart disease than in the control group. 2. Treatment duration was statistically longer among patients with increased symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract; increase of symptoms was not associated with the kind of drugs.