[Food patterns in Russian patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease: the results of pilot comparative study]

To evaluate nutritional patterns in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) compared to the control group without GERD.

The data of complex examination of patients referred to perform esophageal pH-impedance recording and who gave written informed consent to participate in the study served as a source data. All the participants underwent complex examination, including clinical data (presence of heartburn and acid regurgitation), symptom evaluation (GERD-Q questionnaire), esophagogastroscopy, esophageal pH-impedance recordings and food frequency questionnaire. Diagnosis of GERD was based on GERD-Q score 8, acid exposure time 6%, number of gastroesophageal refluxes 80/day by 24-hrs esophageal pH-impedance recordings. Nutritional patterns were assessed with the use of healthy eating pyramid principles.

Overall 165 patients were enrolled and the data of 150 of them (34 with confirmed GERD and 116 of the control group) were available for the final analysis. The patients of the both groups consumed lower compared to the recommended amounts of dairy and higher amounts of meat. Those with GERD consumed larger amounts of fruits (0.910.68 compared to the values of healthy eating pyramid vs 0.520.57 in the control group, p=0.001), and fats (0.690.55 vs 0.490.55, p=0.001). Compared to the controls, patients with GERD consumed lower amounts of vegetables (0.860.46 of the healthy eating pyramid vs 0.940.63 in the control group, р=0.004) and sugars confectionaries (0.380.39 vs 1.930.98, p=0.0001).

Nutritional patterns of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease significantly differ compared to the control group. The obtained data may be used for diet modification in patients with arterial hypertension.