MedWire News: People with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are significantly more likely to suffer from other conditions and illnesses than those without the disease, research shows.

The team also found that gastro-oesophageal reflux disease significantly affects sufferers' quality of life and work productivity, particularly if they suffer from moderate or severe symptoms.

Dr Peter Wahlqvist, from AstraZeneca R&D in Mölndal, Sweden, and colleagues studied data from an internet health and wellbeing survey of more than 40,000 people in the USA.

The team indentified 10,028 respondents, aged an average of 52 years, who suffered from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and compared them with 10,028 participants who did not suffer from the condtion.

Analysis revealed that, compared with other respondents, those with reflux disease were 3.4 times more likely to suffer from noncardiac chest pain and anxiety disorder. Participants with reflux disease were also around three times more likely to suffer from panic disorder, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia than other respondents.

Compared with other people, those with reflux disease missed an extra hour of work per week and were 7.5% less productive while at work. Taken together, this indicates that people with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease miss 2.4 more hours of work a week than those without the condition, says the team.

Respondents with reflux disease also tended to report a poorer quality of life than those without the condition.

Further analysis showed that increasing severity and frequency of reflux symptoms was associated with poorer quality of life, more time taken off work and falling levels of work productivity.

Dr Wahlqvist and team summarise in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics: "Patients with more severe and/or frequent gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms are likely to have more concomitant diseases, lower health-related quality of life, increased absence from work and reduced productivity in both work and nonwork activities, as well as increased healthcare utilisation."

They conclude: "This suggests that patients with moderate or severe gastro-oesophageal reflux disease should receive targeted management with the most effective treatment strategies."