Is obesity associated with gastropharyngeal reflux disease?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between obesity and gastropharyngeal reflux disease (GPRD) as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients undergoing ambulatory 24-h dual-probe pH monitoring from July 2003 to December 2006. The association between body mass index (BMI) and parameters about gastroesophageal or gastropharyngeal reflux was examined in univariate and multivariate analyses.


RESULTS
A total of 769 patients (307 men and 462 women; mean age 50.7 years) were finally enrolled. Most variables showing gastroesophageal reflux was higher in the obese patients than the patients with normal BMI. There was no difference in all the variables showing gastropharyngeal reflux according to the BMI. After adjustment for age, sex, alcohol intake and smoking, obese patients demonstrated an about 2-fold increase in risk of GERD compared with patients with normal BMI (OR, 1.9; 95 CI, 1.3-2.9), but overweight patients did not demonstrate increased risk of GERD (OR, 1.2; 95 CI, 0.8-1.7). Both obese patients and overweight patients did not demonstrated increased risk of GPRD compared with patients with normal BMI (OR, 1.1; 95 CI, 0.8-1.7; and OR, 0.9; 95 CI, 0.6-1.3, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is not associated with GPRD reflux while it is associated with GERD.
Choi
Cheol Woong
CW
Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Kim
Gwang Ha
GH
Song
Chul Soo
CS
Wang
Soo Geun
SG
Lee
Byung Joo
BJ
I
Hoseok
H
Kang
Dae Hwan
DH
Song
Geun Am
GA
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors