title: Airway symptoms and sleeping difficulties in operated and non-operated patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anti-reflux treatment studies have not succeeded in proving a causal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), airway symptoms and sleeping difficulties. In a recent follow-up study we showed that patients operated for GERD have significantly less heartburn/acid regurgitation symptoms than matched non-operated patients. These two groups probably had different degrees of reflux over a long period of time. It is thus hypothesized that operated patients would report less airway symptoms and sleeping difficulties than comparable non-operated patients. A new follow-up study of the same patients was therefore conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 179 patients operated for GERD and 179 matched non-operated patients with confirmed GERD were sent the Reflux, Airway & Sleep Questionnaire (RASQ), which is a new, validated questionnaire dealing with heartburn/acid regurgitation, airway symptoms, and sleeping difficulties. Answers are given on a 7-point Likert scale and the assessment period is 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rates were 68% in both groups. Operated patients reported significantly less reflux symptoms than non-operated patients (p < 0.001). Patients in the surgery group also reported less symptoms in two subscales of the RASQ dealing with airway symptoms: Laryngopharyngitis (p = 0.04) and Bronchitis (p = 0.01). There was a tendency toward less sleeplessness in operated patients, but this was not statistically significant. Snoring was less bothersome in operated patients (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients operated for GERD have less heartburn/acid regurgitation symptoms and less airway symptoms than non-operated patients. The findings lend support to the hypothesis of a causal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux, airway symptoms, and sleeping difficulties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Unit for Gastroenterology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. rune.trondheim@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johannessen
authors.forename: Hermod
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olberg
authors.forename: Gjermund
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fjøsne
authors.forename: Per Martin
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kleveland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D006356:Heartburn / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000209:etiology*; D057045:Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000209:etiology*; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012913:Snoring / Q000209:etiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors