CORRELATION BETWEEN SYMPTOMS AND REFLUX IN PATIENTS WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Digestive Health
• Esophageal Disorders

Background:

• Esophageal symptoms like heartburn are similar across functional heartburn, non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), and erosive reflux disease (ERD).
• Patient-reported symptom intensity may correlate with the actual intensity of gastroesophageal reflux.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between symptom intensity and objective measures of gastroesophageal acid reflux in patients with GERD.
• To differentiate symptom perception based on GERD subtype.

Main Methods:

• 68 patients with heartburn (18 functional, 28 NERD, 22 ERD) were assessed using the Velanovich score (heartburn) and Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) (dysphagia).
• Diagnostic procedures included esophageal endoscopy, manometry, and 24-hour pHmetry to quantify acid reflux.
• Symptom questionnaires were administered on a separate day from endoscopy, manometry, and pHmetry.

Main Results:

• The Velanovich score was significantly higher in NERD and ERD patients compared to functional heartburn patients.
• No significant difference in mean EAT-10 scores was observed across the three GERD groups.
• A moderate positive correlation was found between the Velanovich score and DeMeester score/acid exposure time (AET).
• A weak positive correlation was observed between EAT-10 scores and DeMeester score/AET.

Conclusions:

• Heartburn symptom intensity shows a moderate positive correlation with objective gastroesophageal reflux measurements.
• Dysphagia, as measured by EAT-10, exhibits a weak positive correlation with reflux parameters.
• These findings suggest that while heartburn is linked to reflux intensity, dysphagia may be influenced by other factors in GERD.