Review: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy is mildly effective for reducing symptoms in nonulcer dyspepsia.

M e t h o d s Data sources: An existing systematic review was updated. Studies were identified by searching 6 electronic databases {MEDLINE (1966 to 2002), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1988 to 2002), CINAHL (1982 to 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (2002), and SIGLE}*. Study selection and assessment: Studies of any publication status in any language were selected if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing H. pylori eradication therapy ({dual therapy with a protonpump inhibitor [PPI] in combination with either clarithromycin or amoxicillin; triple therapy with either a PPI or histamine-2 receptor antagonist in combination with either amoxicillin and nitroimidazole or amoxicillin and clarithromycin, or clarithromycin and nitroimidazole; bismuthbased triple therapy with metronidazole and either amoxicillin or tetracycline; or quadruple therapy with a PPI, bismuth, metronidazole tetracycline, or amoxicillin}*) with placebo antibiotics. Studies were assessed for methodological quality according to the {generation of the allocation procedure, concealment of the treatment allocation, implementation of masking, completeness of follow-up, and intention-to-treat analysis}*. Outcomes: {Dyspeptic symptom assessments (individual or global dyspepsia symptom scores), quality-of-life scores, and adverse effects}*.