HYPOTHESIS Obesity impairs the antireflux function of a structurally intact barrier. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of body mass index in patients with normal esophageal manometric findings but with symptomatic and objectively confirmed gastroesophageal reflux. SETTING Specialist esophageal center. PATIENTS Patients symptomatic and diagnostic for gastroesophageal reflux, referred between O...

G ASTROESOPHAGEAL reflux disease (GORD) is the most common oesophageal disease. Besides the typical presentation of heartburn and acid regurgitation, GORD can cause atypical symptoms. An estimated 20–60% of patients with GORD have head and neck symptoms without heartburn 1 and at least 10% of patients who attend a general ear, nose and throat clinic will have symptoms or signs related to reflux...

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common esophageal disorder encountered in the United States. Gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms are associated with a negative quality of life and increased healthcare costs and therefore require an effective management strategy. Although proton pump inhibitors remain the primary treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, they do not cure the...

Antisecretory therapies that raise intragastric pH provide the best healing of the esophageal mucosal damage that occurs in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Continuous maintenance therapy is also effective to reduce the likelihood of recurrence of esophagitis and control symptoms in the long term. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is an effective approach for healing esophagitis and controlli...

Occasional acid reflux occurs frequently in the general population but gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic disease that affects millions of adults and children, is diagnosed if persistent reflux occurs more than twice a week. The development of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) dramatically improved the treatment of GERD; however, the treatment of patients with refractory GERD remains...

A significant percentage of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) will not respond to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. The causes of PPI-refractory GERD are numerous and diverse, and include adherence, persistent acid, functional disorders, nonacid reflux, and PPI bioavailability. The evaluation should start with a symptom assessment and may progress to imaging, endoscopy, an...

CONTEXT Impairment of esophageal motility is a common finding in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as reduced lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure. A very low LES pressure might facilitate the occurrence of more gastroesophageal reflux whereas abnormal esophageal peristalsis may contribute to impaired esophageal clearance after reflux. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the esop...

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease may have disturbances of gastric motility, which could play a role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Recent studies have suggested that the gastric region just below the gastroesophageal junction may have a distinct physiological behavior. We determined whether patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease have abnormal residence of food in the...