title: The effect of acid suppression on sleep and cardiac autonomic regulation in GERD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autonomic dysfunction and sleep disturbances have been observed in patients with reflux disease. The study aim was to investigate whether acid suppression changed autonomic function and subjective sleep function in patients with erosive esophagitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients with erosive esophagitis underwent assessment of heart rate variability and a subjective sleep questionnaire. All patients were studied before and after esomeprazole or placebo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Esomeprazole resulted in a significant improvement in the reflux symptoms in week 8 (P<0.001). The global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score decreased from 6.0 at baseline to 3.6 in week 8 in patients treated with esomeprazole (P<0.01). There was no significant change in any variable of heart rate variability in week 8 in either the esomeprazole or the placebo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In 8 weeks, acid suppression therapy leads to an improvement in sleep disturbances but does not affect autonomic function. The study confirms the utility of acid suppression therapy for the resolution of not only reflux symptoms but also sleep dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and University School of Medicine, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Chien-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Terry B J
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Cheryl C H
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064098:Esomeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D064098:Esomeprazole