Gastroesophageal reflux disease and non-digestive tract diseases

Abstract

Over the past decade, incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) showed an increasing trend resulting from factors, including lifestyle and dietary habits; however, both etiology and pathological mechanisms remain controversial. GERD occurs as a result of a variety of mechanisms and there is no single factor. Symptoms of GERD are often non-typical, with a likelihood of being overlooked by non-gastroenterology professionals. Therefore, improving GERD awareness in non-gastroenterology practitioners, along with early diagnosis and treatment, provide potential benefit to clinicians and patients alike. Increasing evidence suggests GERD has specific connections with a variety of non-digestive tract conditions, may contribute an aggravating compounding effect on other diseases, prolong hospitalization, and increase subsequent medical costs. This review considers and emphasizes the association between GERD and non-digestive tract conditions, including atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, primary pulmonary fibrosis and energy metabolism related to diet.

Keywords:

• atrial fibrillation
• atypical symptom
• etiology
• gastroesophageal reflux disease
• non-digestive tract disease

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) refers to a range of symptoms and associated complications that are caused by backflow of stomach contents (including gastric acid) into the esophagus.

• Over the last 10 years, the correlation of atrial fibrillation and GERD has been an important research focus.

• For the end-stage treatment of primary pulmonary fibrosis, lung transplantation is needed to extend a patients’ life.

• Nearly 20 years of one epidemiological survey found that the rising incidence of GERD, obesity and diabetes is consistent.

• The correlation of BMI and GERD symptoms and severity is widely recognized.

• It remains unknown if proton pump inhibitor exerts its effect on the outcomes of GERD via insulin resistance factors’ regulatory effect of fat metabolism.