Role of Meditation as Adjuvant Therapy on Gastrointestinal Quality of Life among Individuals with Functional Dyspepsia in an Outpatient Setting: A Randomized Pilot Trial.

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common reasons for medical visits. Patients with FD incur large direct and indirect expenditures and may have significant financial burdens that affect quality of life. Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of meditation as an adjuvant to the standard treatment in individuals diagnosed with FD. This will explore more cost-effective therapeutic management in diseases like FD, which is believed to be related to the gut-brain axis. Meditation is a nonpharmacological therapy, safer and economical, and its adjuvant use can minimize or avoid the adverse effects of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCA).

Objectives: We wanted to comprehensively assess the role of meditation as an adjuvant therapy in patients with FD and compare it with the control arm receiving standard treatment alone. The primary objective was the change in gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) score, and the secondary objective was to assess the changes in the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) score and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score before and after the intervention.

Methods: Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were divided equally into two arms (experimental and control groups). The experimental group received standard treatment for dyspepsia (PPI, domperidone, TCAs) and Vaishvanara Agni meditation (VAM), while the control group received standard treatment alone. Both groups were compared at weeks 0, 4, and 8 in terms of change in GIQLI score, HADS (HADS-A and HADS-D score), and PSQI score.

Results: Our study showed that both groups experienced significant changes in GIQLI, HADS-A, HADS-D, and PSQI scores at 4 and 8 weeks when compared with the baseline time point. However, when both groups were directly compared, it was observed that the experimental group exhibited notable variations in the GIQLI score after 8 weeks, the HADS-D score after 8 weeks, and the PSQI score after 4 weeks when contrasted with the control group. These differences were found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion: FD does not have an identified structural or biochemical cause, making it a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that requires a tailored treatment approach. Our pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated the impact of meditation as adjuvant therapy for FD, revealing improvements in GI health, mental well-being, and sleep quality compared to standard treatment alone. The study recommends incorporating meditation into the management of FD and similar conditions, highlighting its holistic nature that addresses not only specific symptoms but also overall well-being. This study pioneers the examination of meditation as a complementary approach for FD, offering promising results in improving GIQLI, HADS, and PSQI scores and thus adding value to preexisting literature.