title: Prevalence and Spectrum of Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease in Bronchial Asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There exists a complex interplay between asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Both these diseases are known to aggravate each other and amelioration of one is necessary for the control of the other. There is a paucity of studies in Indian population on this subject.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical features and the endoscopic findings of the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with bronchial asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study was conducted at KMC group of hospitals, Mangalore in the Department of chest medicine in association with Department of gastroenterology. Subjects included 50 cases of bronchial asthma and controls were 58 non asthmatic patients with allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria. All patients were queried about presence or absence of symptoms of upper gastro intestinal tract disorders by gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire and all the included patients underwent upper gastro intestinal endoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed that symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux were significantly more in asthmatics (52%) as compared to the controls (28%). The common presenting features of gastroesophageal reflux in asthmatics were heartburn (40%) retrosternal pain (24%), nocturnal cough (18%), dyspepsia (16%) and regurgitation (14%) and the above symptoms were significantly more common in asthmatics as compared to controls. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was found to be significantly more common in the asthmatics (58%) as compared to the control group where it was present in 32.75% of the subjects. Clinical or endoscopic evidence of any upper gastrointestinal disorder was found in 68% of the asthmatics as compared to 37.93% of the controls. This difference was found to be statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed that gastroesophageal reflux disease was significantly more in asthmatics as compared to the controls. Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were more common in asthmatics as against controls. Clinical or endoscopic evidence of upper gastrointestinal disorder and gastroesophageal reflux disease was found in significantly higher proportion of the asthmatics as compared to the controls. Clinically silent gastroesophageal reflux disease was however seen in both control and asthmatic groups equally with a lower prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, KMC Mangalore , Manipal University, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Sahoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rameschandra
authors.affiliation: Professor, HOD, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, KMC Mangalore , Manipal University, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Vishak
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.affiliation: Registrar, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, KMC Mangalore , Manipal University, Mangalore, India .
authors.lastname: Kunal
authors.affiliation: Professor, & Chief, Department of Gastroenterology, KMC Mangalore , Manipal University, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Tantry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vishwanath
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, KMC Mangalore , Manipal University, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramkrishna
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, KMC Mangalore , Manipal University, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Preetam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Acharya
keywords: Acid peptic disease; Difficult asthmatic; Oesophagitis; Upper GI scopy