Endoscopic findings in patients with different breakfast timings and their short Leeds score.

Abstract

Objective: To see endoscopic changes in patients with different breakfast timings and their short Leeds dyspepsia score, visiting outpatient clinics in a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient Clinics of Gastroenterology Department, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Period: November, 2024 to April, 2024. Methods: A total of 450 patients of 18-65 years of either gender with at least past two months history of dyspeptic symptoms were analyzed. Short‐Form Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (SF‐LDQ) was used to identify severity of dyspepsia and gastroscopy was performed in symptomatic patients to see endoscopic findings. Data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS Statistics, version 26.0. Results: In a total of 450 patients, 239 (53.1%) were males, and 211 (46.9%) females. The mean age was 43.01±15.83 years (ranging between 18-65 years). The mean breakfast time was 9.0am±1.8hr (ranging between 5:30am to 11.45am). Endoscopic features like frequency of esophagitis (50.0%), moderate to severe gastritis (38.7%, and 65.4%, respectively), and duodenitis (69.9%) were higher in patients having breakfast after 9-10 am. Frequency of dyspeptic symptoms was 86.5%, 75.3%, 45.3%, and 42% for indigestion, heartburn, nausea and regurgitation, respectively. Mean SF Leeds score was 14.04±5.61. Regression analysis showed that there was increase of 2.03 units in SF Leeds score with one-unit increase in breakfast timing. Conclusion: Significant relationship of breakfast timing was found with endoscopic severity of inflammation in gut and increase SF Leeds score, particularly in patients having breakfast after 10:00 O’ clock in the morning.