Objective: To assess whether the charakter of complaints of patients with functional dyspepsia depends on the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Patients and methods: Ira a total of 253 patients with functional gastric dyspepsia (167 H. pylori negative, 86 H. pylori positive) evaluated on the basis of a questionnaire survey basic complaints were assessed: epigastric pain and fullness, pressure ira the epigastrium, musea, vomiting, heart burn, (if part of the dominating dyspeptic complaints, and the endoscopic únding ira the oesophagus was normal) during the úrst examination, one year after the second examination and at the time of the questionnaire survey (2-13 years after the úrst examination). At the same time the patients were asked about the influence of nervous and dietary factors. The quality of life was evaluated during the úrst and únal examination. For statistical evaluation Fisher's exact test of two proportions values was used, two sample T-test and xz test. Results: The prevalence of pain and pressure ira the epigastrium, musea and vomitig were ira both groups throughout the observation period almost identickl. Oraly the prevalence of heart burn was signiúcantly higher during the úrst examination ira the H. pylori positive patients, during subsequent examinations the difference between the two groups was insigniúcant. Patients ira the group without detectable H. pylori infection reported signiúcantly more frequently the participation of nervous factors ira the development of complaints (p < 0.05), the attitude to food was the same ira both groups. The index of quality of life was ira the H. pylori negative and positive group almost identical during the úrst as well as during the last examination. Conclusion: The prevalence of the dominant dyspeptic complaints is ira patients with functional gastric H. pylori positive or H. pylori negative patients almost identical and does not change during the long-term follow up. The H. pylori infection ira patients with functional dyspepsia does not influence the quality of their lives. From the results of the observation ensues that H. pylori is not the source of dyspeptic complaints

        Key words: Helicobacter pylori - functional gastric dyspepsia - quality of life