RCTs that compared Helicobacter pylori test and treat with empirical proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy for initial management of dyspepsia without alarm symptoms in adults in primary care were eligible for the meta-analysis. Test and treat involved non-invasive testing for Helicobacter pylori followed by eradication therapy for those who tested positive and PPI therapy for those who tested negative. Dyspepsia was defined as a cluster of upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms that included both epigastric pain and heartburn. Trials had to report outcome data that included symptom status at the end of the trial.
Included trials were conducted in the UK and Denmark and used a variety of eradication and PPI treatment regimens. Mean age of participants ranged from 41.3 to 45.4 years. The percentage of men ranged from 42% to 55%.
The authors did not report in the paper how trials were selected for the meta-analysis.