title: Treatment of non-erosive reflux disease with a proton pump inhibitor in Chinese patients: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence suggests that rates of gastroesophageal reflux disease are increasing in the Asia-Pacific region, where patients tend to have predominantly non-erosive reflux disease as opposed to erosive (reflux) esophagitis. At present, data for the responsiveness of non-erosive reflux disease to proton pump inhibition are scant. We aimed to study esomeprazole for the treatment of non-erosive reflux disease in Chinese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a clinical diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux, and a locally validated reflux index, the Chinese GerdQ, of equal to or greater than 12 were recruited and randomized to receive esomeprazole 20 mg daily or placebo for 8 weeks. Reflux index scores, quality of life (SF-36), and the hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale and symptom relief were evaluated before, during, and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 175 patients were randomized. Patients in the esomeprazole group (n = 85) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in their GerdQ index, from 19.45 to 15.37 and to 14.32 (p = 0.013, p = 0.005) at weeks 4 and 8, respectively. Compared to placebo at week 8, 57.1% of patients on esomeprazole found that their symptoms had resolved or were acceptable compared with 37.2% in the placebo group (p = 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in overall quality-of-life measures or the HAD scale related to treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that esomeprazole is efficacious in treating Chinese patients with non-erosive reflux disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Victoria P Y
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Wai M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ting K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Kam C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Ivan F N
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Benjamin C Y
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety; D002681:China; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D064098:Esomeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D064098:Esomeprazole