title: Nighttime GERD: clinical implications and therapeutic challenges.
abstract: Limited available data specifically addressing nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux indicate its association with more severe injuries such as esophagitis and stricture, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, respiratory and ENT disorders as well as sleep disturbances, diminished quality of life and undesired changes in activities of daily living. In a recent survey, altogether 79% of respondents reported experiencing heartburn at night. Among those, 75% reported that symptoms affected their sleep, 63% believed that heartburn negatively affected their ability to sleep well, and 40% believed that nocturnal heartburn impaired their ability to function the following day. Of the 791 respondents with nighttime heartburn, 71% reported taking over-the-counter medicine for it, only 29% of these rated this approach extremely effective. Forty-one percent reported trying prescription medicines and 49% of these rated this approach extremely satisfactory. This recent understanding of the prevalence and impact of nighttime heartburn is an indicator of nocturnal acid reflux events and suggests that nighttime heartburn occurs in a large majority of adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease. The fact that expected result from implemented therapy for heartburn is not achieved by a sizable percentage of patients can have significant management implications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9200 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA. rshaker@mcw.edu
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shaker
mesh_terms: D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006356:Heartburn / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*