Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research

Impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease on patients' daily lives: a European observational study in the primary care setting

Authors: Javier P Gisbert, Alun Cooper, Dimitrios Karagiannis, Jan Hatlebakk, Lars Agréus, Helmut Jablonowski, Javier Zapardiel

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2009

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) on the daily lives of patients managed in primary care is not well known. We report the burden of GERD in a large population of patients managed in primary care, in terms of symptoms and impact on patients' daily lives.

Methods

RANGE (R etrospective AN alysis of GE RD) was an observational study that was conducted at 134 primary care sites across six European countries. All adult subjects who had consulted their primary care physician (PCP) during a 4-month identification period were screened retrospectively and those consulting at least once for GERD-related reasons were identified. From this population, a random sample of patients was selected to enter the study and attended a follow-up appointment, during which the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ), the GERD Impact Scale (GIS) and an extra-esophageal symptoms questionnaire were self-administered. Based on medical records, data were collected on demographics, history of GERD, its diagnostic work-up and therapy.

Results

Over the 4-month identification period, 373,610 subjects consulted their PCP and 12,815 (3.4%) did so for GERD-related reasons. From 2678 patients interviewed (approximately 75% of whom reported taking medication for GERD symptoms), symptom recurrence following a period of remission was the most common reason for consultation (35%). At the follow-up visit, with regard to RDQ items (score range 0–5, where high score = worse status), mean Heartburn dimension scores ranged from 0.8 (Sweden) to 1.2 (UK) and mean Regurgitation dimension scores ranged from 1.0 (Norway) to 1.4 (Germany). Mean overall GIS scores (range 1–4, where low score = worse status) ranged from 3.3 (Germany) to 3.5 (Spain). With regard to extra-esophageal symptoms, sleep disturbance was common in all countries in terms of both frequency and intensity.

Conclusion

In this large European observational study, GERD was associated with a substantial impact on the daily lives of affected individuals managed in the primary care setting.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Vakil N, van Zanten SV, Kahrilas P, Dent J, Jones R: The Montreal definition and classification of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a global evidence-based consensus. Am J Gastroenterol 2006,101(8):1900–1920. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00630.xCrossRef
2.
Wiklund I: Quality of life in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2001,96(8 Suppl):S46–53. 10.1016/S0002-9270(01)02591-6CrossRef
3.
Wiklund I: Review of the quality of life and burden of illness in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dig Dis 2004,22(2):108–114. 10.1159/000080308CrossRef
4.
Flook NW, Wiklund I: Accounting for the effect of GERD symptoms on patients' health-related quality of life: supporting optimal disease management by primary care physicians. Int J Clin Pract 2007,61(12):2071–2078. 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01586.xPubMedCentralCrossRef
5.
Kulig M, Leodolter A, Vieth M, Schulte E, Jaspersen D, Labenz J, Lind T, Meyer-Sabellek W, Malfertheiner P, Stolte M, et al.: Quality of life in relation to symptoms in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease – an analysis based on the ProGERD initiative. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2003,18(8):767–776. 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2003.01770.xCrossRef
6.
Wiklund I, Carlsson J, Vakil N: Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms and well-being in a random sample of the general population of a Swedish community. Am J Gastroenterol 2006,101(1):18–28. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.00343.xCrossRef
7.
Ronkainen J, Aro P, Storskrubb T, Lind T, Bolling-Sternevald E, Junghard O, Talley NJ, Agreus L: Gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and health-related quality of life in the adult general population – the Kalixanda study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006,23(12):1725–1733. 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02952.xCrossRef
8.
Jones R, Armstrong D, Malfertheiner P, Ducrotté P: Does the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) meet patients' needs? A survey-based study. Curr Med Res Opin 2006,22(4):657–662. 10.1185/030079906X100032CrossRef
9.
Locke GR 3rd, Talley NJ, Fett SL, Zinsmeister AR, Melton LJ 3rd: Prevalence and clinical spectrum of gastroesophageal reflux: a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Gastroenterology 1997,112(5):1448–1456. 10.1016/S0016-5085(97)70025-8CrossRef
10.
Shaw MJ, Talley NJ, Beebe TJ, Rockwood T, Carlsson R, Adlis S, Fendrick AM, Jones R, Dent J, Bytzer P: Initial validation of a diagnostic questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2001,96(1):52–57. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2001.03451.xCrossRef
11.
Jones R, Coyne K, Wiklund I: The gastro-oesophageal reflux disease impact scale: a patient management tool for primary care. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2007,25(12):1451–1459.CrossRef
12.
Wiklund IK, Junghard O, Grace E, Talley NJ, Kamm M, Veldhuyzen van Zanten S, Pare P, Chiba N, Leddin DS, Bigard MA, et al.: Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia patients. Psychometric documentation of a new disease-specific questionnaire (QOLRAD). Eur J Surg Suppl 1998, (583):41–49.
13.
Shaker R, Castell DO, Schoenfeld PS, Spechler SJ: Nighttime heartburn is an under-appreciated clinical problem that impacts sleep and daytime function: the results of a Gallup survey conducted on behalf of the American Gastroenterological Association. Am J Gastroenterol 2003,98(7):1487–1493. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2003.07531.xCrossRef
14.
Jones R, Liker HR, Ducrotté P: Relationship between symptoms, subjective well-being and medication use in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Int J Clin Pract 2007,61(8):1301–1307. 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01475.xPubMedCentralCrossRef
15.
Farup C, Kleinman L, Sloan S, Ganoczy D, Chee E, Lee C, Revicki D: The impact of nocturnal symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease on health-related quality of life. Arch Intern Med 2001,161(1):45–52. 10.1001/archinte.161.1.45CrossRef
16.
Armstrong D, Marshall JK, Chiba N, Enns R, Fallone CA, Fass R, Hollingworth R, Hunt RH, Kahrilas PJ, Mayrand S, et al.: Canadian Consensus Conference on the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease in adults – update 2004. Can J Gastroenterol 2005,19(1):15–35.
17.
DeVault KR, Castell DO: Updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2005,100(1):190–200. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.41217.xCrossRef
18.
Labenz J, Armstrong D, Lauritsen K, Katelaris P, Schmidt S, Schutze K, Wallner G, Juergens H, Preiksaitis H, Keeling N, et al.: A randomized comparative study of esomeprazole 40 mg versus pantoprazole 40 mg for healing erosive oesophagitis: the EXPO study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005,21(6):739–746. 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2005.02368.xCrossRef
19.
Talley NJ, Wiklund I: Patient reported outcomes in gastroesophageal reflux disease: an overview of available measures. Qual Life Res 2005,14(1):21–33. 10.1007/s11136-004-0613-5CrossRef
20.
Chassany O, Holtmann G, Malagelada J, Gebauer U, Doerfler H, Devault K: Systematic review: health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008,27(11):1053–1070. 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03683.xCrossRef
21.
Dent J, Jones R, Vakil N, Halling K, Junghard O, Wernersson B, Lind T: A management strategy for GERD based on the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ) [abstract]. Scand J Gastroenterol 2008,43(Suppl 244):34–35.
Metadata
Title
Impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease on patients' daily lives: a European observational study in the primary care setting
Authors
Javier P Gisbert
Alun Cooper
Dimitrios Karagiannis
Jan Hatlebakk
Lars Agréus
Helmut Jablonowski
Javier Zapardiel
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-7-60

Other articles of this Issue 1/2009

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2009 Go to the issue

Research

Co-morbidity and visual acuity are risk factors for health-related quality of life decline: five-month follow-up EQ-5D data of visually impaired older patients

Research

Clinical assessment of the physical activity pattern of chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a validation of three methods

Research

Sex differences in the relative contribution of social and clinical factors to the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 measure of health-related quality of life in older home care clients

Research

Quality of life in chemical warfare survivors with ophthalmologic injuries: the first results form Iran Chemical Warfare Victims Health Assessment Study

Research

Prevalence of multiple chronic conditions in the United States' Medicare population

Research

Serbian KINDL questionnaire for quality of life assessments in healthy children and adolescents: reproducibility and construct validity