Functional dyspepsia: A narrative review with a focus on sex-gender differences

Abstract

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is among the most common gastrointestinal disorders affecting quality of life (QoL). As it frequently occurs in women than in men the comparison of various aspects including prevalence, clinical manifestations, and QoL in FD between women and men is very important for understanding the disease distribution and burden, evaluating treatment options, developing new drugs, and allocating medical resources. However, little is known about sex or gender differences among patients with FD. In spite of limited studies, consistent points are that FD occurs more often in women than in men and there are several symptom differences between men and women with FD. In addition, women with FD tend to have lower QoL than men with FD. Similarly, the pathophysiology of FD likely to vary depending on gender. Furthermore, a sex-gender-oriented approach in healthcare system could enhance understanding heterogeneous patients suffering from FD. Due to the sex-gender differences in physiological and psychological factors, treatment strategies should differ between women and men with FD. In conclusion, an individualized and multicomponent approach that considers sex and gender issues might improve FD treatment and improve patient Qol, especially for women.