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12 news items to mark GERD Awareness Week
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The 17th annual GERD Awareness Week is November 20-26, 2016. First designated in 1999 by The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), a nonprofit education and research organization that aims to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic digestive conditions, GERD Awareness Week intends to encourage people experiencing GERD symptoms to consult their physicians.
“GERD affects one in five or more adult men and women in the U.S.,” according to a press release from IFFGD.
To mark GERD Awareness Week, Healio Gastroenterology has compiled the top 12 most popular news articles on GERD research and regulatory approvals from the past year.
1. PPIs, H2 blockers may be linked to kidney disease
Proton pump inhibitors and histamine receptor-2 blockers are associated with a slightly increased risk for kidney stones, according to research presented at ASN Kidney Week. Read more
2. Alginate therapy an effective alternative for treating GERD symptoms
Alginate-based therapies appear slightly less effective than histamine-2 receptor antagonists and PPIs, but more effective than placebo and antacids for treating GERD symptoms, according to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Read more
3. Epithelial thickness a reliable histologic marker for GERD
Total epithelial thickness was a robust histologic marker for GERD, according to a post hoc analysis of data from the Diamond study. Read more
4. FDA approves Dexilant for patients aged 12 to 17 years with GERD
In July, Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced the FDA approved Dexilant for patients aged between 12 and 17 years with GERD. The medication has been approved for adults since 2009. Read more
5. PPI-REE, GERD may share similar underlying cause
GERD is common among patients with PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia, suggesting that the two conditions may share similar pathogenic mechanisms, according to an Italian study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Read more
6. AGA Technology Coverage Statement supports transoral fundoplication for GERD
In June, the AGA issued a Technology Coverage Statement on minimally invasive surgical options for GERD, recommending that transoral fundoplication should be covered and reimbursed for appropriate patients. Read more
7. EndoStim therapy safe, effective for refractory GERD
SAN DIEGO — Electrical stimulation therapy of the lower esophageal sphincter significantly improved esophageal acid exposure, GERD symptoms, PPI use and quality of life in patients with GERD partially responsive to PPIs, according to 1-year results from a multicenter trial presented at DDW 2016. The treatment was also found to be safe and well tolerated. Read more
8. Reflux esophagitis may be caused by cytokine-mediated inflammation, not chemical injury
T lymphocyte-predominant esophageal inflammation and basal cell and papillary hyperplasia without loss of surface cells was associated with PPI cessation among patients who had successfully treated their severe reflux esophagitis with PPIs, according to the results of a preliminary study published in JAMA.
These findings suggest the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis may be caused by inflammatory cytokines rather than chemical injury. Read more
9. Few infants with reflux-like symptoms actually have GERD
Only 10% of preterm and term infants with strong clinical suspicion for reflux actually had true GERD based on multichannel intraluminal impedance testing, according to the results of a retrospective study. Read more
10. Surgical fundoplication use in GERD patients significantly declines
Use of surgical fundoplication in patients with GERD has rapidly declined in the U.S. between 2009 and 2013, according to the results of a national population-based study. Read more
11. PPIs linked to increased risk for chronic kidney disease
PPI use was associated with increased risk for incident chronic kidney disease, progression of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, according to data from a recent study. Read more
12. TEMPO: Long-term control of GERD symptoms achieved with TIF procedure
Transoral incisionless fundoplication provides durable control of chronic GERD symptoms, according to 3-year follow-up data from the TEMPO trial presented at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons 2016 Annual Meeting. Read more