Dr. Frank K. Friedenberg, an associate professor in the section of gastroenterology at Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia and his colleagues published their findings in the August issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when a muscle at the end of the esophagus does not close properly, allowing irritating stomach contents to leak back into the esophagus. Symptoms include heartburn and acid indigestion.
According to the new analysis, involving numerous studies, a high body mass index (BMI) and/or high amounts of abdominal fat does appear to raise the odds for significant acid reflux.
The researchers also found that diet-induced weight loss can help minimize GERD symptoms.
Patients often did lose weight after banding, the researchers found, and this reduction in weight did not immediately encourage GERD. In fact, in some cases, post-procedure weight loss appeared to moderately reduce some reflux disease symptoms, the researchers said.
Starpoli cautioned. "Both bypass and banding are not without their set of complications. And this study illustrates that while solving one problem, perhaps you worsen another. So, I would say that if you're going into any of these procedures to deal with obesity, and you have significant reflux, you definitely first need to have an appropriate evaluation as if you were considering an anti-reflux procedure."
More information
There's more on GERD at U.S. National Institutes of Health.
[Source: USNews]
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