MedWire News: Individuals who experience daily reflux appear to have lower blood pressure than individuals with less frequent or no symptoms, study findings suggest.

Dr Liam Murray, from the Queens University of Belfast in the UK, and team examined the association between blood pressure readings and frequency of heartburn and acid regurgitation in 4902 individuals.

In addition to blood pressure, data were collected on height and weight, antihypertensive medication use, smoking history, and alcohol and coffee consumption.

The study findings, published in the journal BMC Gastroenterology, demonstrate that individuals with daily acid regurgitation not receiving any medication had blood pressure measures that were 4.2 mmHg lower than those of individuals with less frequent or no symptoms. This association was further strengthened when investigators controlled for factors that might influence the results, such as smoking, weight or ingestion of alcohol.

"We did not observe any association between blood pressure and other symptoms such as daily heartburn," say the researchers.

They add that low blood pressure in patients experiencing daily reflux may explain previous study findings showing a reduced risk for stroke in patients with symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.