Questionnaires for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease: are they really useful?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a major medical complaint both in primary care and gastroenterology clinics. This is partly due to the condition's high prevalence, which in developed countries is estimated to be 10-20%. Its initial diagnosis, however, remains controversial. The Montreal definition of GERD is widely accepted, and both heartburn and regurgitation are therein considered the syndrome's typical symptoms. However, in the DIAMOND study only 49% of patients with GERD surprisingly reports these symptoms as major causes of disability (40%) heartburn, 9% regurgitation).