Last Updated: 2001-07-27 10:00:46 EDT (Reuters Health)
מתוך מדיקונטקסט
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – There appears to be a high prevalence of upper respiratory symptoms such as cough, hoarseness, and throat complaints among patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which may contribute to the link between GERD and asthma, researchers report.

Dr. Demetrios S. Theodoropoulos, from Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, and colleagues studied 74 subjects with GERD who underwent 24-hour proximal and distal esophageal pH studies.

These patients, as well as 74 normal subjects without GERD, completed a questionnaire about upper respiratory symptoms in the 4 weeks before esophageal pH monitoring, the team explains in the July 1st issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Of the 74 GERD patients, the researchers report, 22 patients had normal pH studies, while 16 patients had lower reflux and 36 patients had upper reflux.

Among the controls with normal pH studies, the mean upper respiratory score was 3.04. However, for patients with GERD who had normal pH studies the mean score was significantly greater, 4.57 (p < 0.01). For those with lower reflux it was 7.13 and for those with both upper reflux it was 8.75.

Thirty-five GERD patients reported two or more respiratory symptoms that were present more than 4 days/month, compared with seven of the subjects with normal pH studies (p < 0.01).

Given these and other findings, Dr. Theodoropoulos told Reuters Health, not only does he think there is a direct association between asthma and GERD, but also "GERD may aggravate asthma by having an impact on the function of the upper airway."

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001;164:72-76.

-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700

Last Updated: 2001-07-27 10:00:46 EDT (Reuters Health)

WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – There appears to be a high prevalence of upper respiratory symptoms such as cough, hoarseness, and throat complaints among patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which may contribute to the link between GERD and asthma, researchers report.

Dr. Demetrios S. Theodoropoulos, from Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, and colleagues studied 74 subjects with GERD who underwent 24-hour proximal and distal esophageal pH studies.

These patients, as well as 74 normal subjects without GERD, completed a questionnaire about upper respiratory symptoms in the 4 weeks before esophageal pH monitoring, the team explains in the July 1st issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Of the 74 GERD patients, the researchers report, 22 patients had normal pH studies, while 16 patients had lower reflux and 36 patients had upper reflux.

Among the controls with normal pH studies, the mean upper respiratory score was 3.04. However, for patients with GERD who had normal pH studies the mean score was significantly greater, 4.57 (p < 0.01). For those with lower reflux it was 7.13 and for those with both upper reflux it was 8.75.

Thirty-five GERD patients reported two or more respiratory symptoms that were present more than 4 days/month, compared with seven of the subjects with normal pH studies (p < 0.01).

Given these and other findings, Dr. Theodoropoulos told Reuters Health, not only does he think there is a direct association between asthma and GERD, but also "GERD may aggravate asthma by having an impact on the function of the upper airway."

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001;164:72-76.

-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700