Dyspepsia in nonagenarian women

Abstract

Purpose: Dyspeptic complaints are common across all age groups, but limited research explores their characteristics and underlying pathologies in nonagenarians. This pioneering study aims to investigate the clinical, laboratory, and histopathological features in women nonagenarians vs. middle-aged.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 93 female nonagenarians and 90 under 65 years (control), all presenting with dyspeptic complaints to general surgery, internal medicine, and gastroenterology outpatient clinics. Both groups underwent comprehensive evaluations, including laboratory parameters, upper gastric endoscopic examinations, and histopathological assessments of gastric biopsies. Statistical analysis compared the two groups' demographic, laboratory, and histopathological findings.

Results: Of the patients included in the study, 49.8% were under 65 years, and 50.2% were nonagenarians. The mean age of the control group was 54.8 years, while nonagenarians had a mean age of 92.7 years. Significant differences were observed in several laboratory biomarkers such as leukocytes, neutrophils, glucose, creatinine, sodium, potassium, albumin, alanine transaminase, C-reactive protein, etc. between the groups (p < 0.05). Nonagenarians were less infected with Helicobacter pylori, whereas they had a higher frequency of intestinal metaplasia.

Conclusions: Nonagenarians group has a higher rate of intestinal metaplasia and displasia, while a lower rate of Helicobacter pylori infection in their gastric mucosal specimens. More extensive randomized controlled trials should illuminate the possible pathophysiological mechanisms for this association.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; Dyspepsia; Geriatrics; Nonagenarians; Pathology.