Managing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in the older patient

Systematic review: ageing and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms, oesophageal function and reflux oesophagitis

BACKGROUND

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is thought to become more prevalent with age.

AIM

To assess systematically how age affects the prevalence of GERD and its oesophageal complications.

METHODS

Systematic PubMed searches were used to identify population-based studies on the age-related prevalence and incidence of GERD, and clinical studies on age-related changes in oesophageal complications in GERD.

RESULTS

Nine population-based studies and seven clinical studies met the inclusion criteria. Four of seven prevalence studies observed no significant effect of age on GERD symptom prevalence, two did not report on statistical significance and one observed a significant age-related increase in symptom prevalence. The two population-based endoscopic surveys showed no significant effect of age on reflux oesophagitis prevalence. Clinical studies in patients with GERD showed an increase in reflux oesophagitis severity and a decrease in heartburn severity with age, and age-related increases in oesophageal acid exposure and anatomical disruption of the gastro-oesophageal junction.

CONCLUSIONS

Epidemiological studies do not show an increase in GERD symptom prevalence with age. However, in individuals with GERD, ageing is associated with more severe patterns of acid reflux and reflux oesophagitis; despite this, symptoms associated with GERD become less severe and more nonspecific with ageing. Thus, the real prevalence of GERD may well increase with age.

[The value of twenty-four hour intraoesophageal pH monitoring and manometry in the management of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms]

Functional gastroenterological examinations (intraoesophageal pH monitoring, oesophageal manometry, scintigraphy, impedance examination) play important role in the management of patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Four different cases are demonstrated where diagnose and therapy was developed by these examinations. Two patients had typical gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and two others had dysphagia. Intraoesophageal pH monitoring was performed by Zinetics twenty-four hour one or two channel pH catheters and oesophageal manometry was carried out by Zinetics EMC four channel catheter with water perfusion method.

CASE REPORTS

In one of the patients with typical and extraoesophageal reflux symptoms, lower oesophageal sphincter incompetency by manometry and pathological acid reflux was observed by intraoesophageal pH monitoring, respectively. Furthermore, hiatal hernia was established, peristalsis of the oesophagus proved to be preserved. Because of incomplete efficacy of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, antireflux surgery was indicated. An other patient with reflux symptoms had physiological pH monitoring and manometric values. Hypersensitive oesophagus was diagnosed and PPI therapy in double dose was applied. Both patients are symptom free up to now. Other two patients complained difficult swallowing and weight loss. Absence of lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation and hypomotility of the oesophagus was observed. After oesophageal dilatation, both patients with achalasia could easy swallow and eat.

CONCLUSIONS

Our cases confirm the importance of the twenty-four hour intraoesophageal pH monitoring and oesophageal manometry in the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, non-cardiac chest pain, other extraoesophageal manifestations and dysphagia. These examinations support the decision for the adequate therapeutic strategy (conventional treatment, surgery or operation or endoscopic intervention) and are important in the follow-up of patients.

Esophagitis in frail elderly people

INTRODUCTION

We studied the clinical course of elderly patients acutely hospitalized for various diseases, assessing any differences between patients with and without esophagitis.

STUDY

A case-control study on the presence of esophagitis was conducted on the clinical records of all in-patients undergoing gastroduodenoscopy at Padova Geriatric Hospital from 1997 to 2001. Data were examined on 338 sex-matched patients: 169 with a diagnosis of esophagitis and 169 with a negative endoscopy.

RESULTS

Admissions for acute respiratory disorders [odds ratios (OR) 2.68; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-8.01], a remote diagnosis of esophagitis (OR 11.34; 95%CI 2.68-48.07), obesity (OR 3.36; 95%CI 0.91-12.48), and being bedridden (OR 6.84; 95%CI 3.27-14.29) were found to be independent risk factors for the presence of esophagitis. The symptoms prompting the endoscopic diagnoses included: gastrointestinal bleeding (OR 7.61; 95%CI 2.76-21.0), heartburn (OR 4.58; 95%CI 1.86-11.28), and cough (OR 3.59; 95%CI 1.34-9.62). Steroids (OR 2.68; 95%CI 1.11-6.44) and calcium antagonists (OR 1.50; 95%CI 0.79-2.87) were associated with esophagitis as risk factors, whereas proton pump inhibitors (OR 0.46; 95%CI 0.25-0.87), nitrates (OR 0.14; 95%CI 0.02-0.78), and sucralfate in males (OR 0.09; 95%CI 0.01-0.92) were associated as protective factors. Patients with esophagitis were discharged with an endocrinologic/metabolic-type diagnosis. Deaths were significantly higher among patients with esophagitis (25 vs. 9); more severe esophagitis was characterized by a higher Charlson comorbidity index and a greater presence of anorexia and nausea.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings seem to substantiate the theory that esophagitis is a characteristic which exacerbates frailty in hospitalized elderly people and its identification may be helpful in these patients.

Long-term management of GERD in the elderly with pantoprazole

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) increases with age and elderly are more likely to develop severe disease. Older patients often complain of less severe or frequent heartburn than younger patients and they may present with atypical symptoms such as dysphagia, weight loss, or extraesophageal symptoms. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are central in the management of GERD and are unchallenged with regards to their efficacy. They are considered safe and more effective than histamine receptor antagonists for healing esophagitis and for preventing its recurrence using a long term maintenance treatment. PPI have minimal side effects and few slight drug interactions and are considered safe for long term treatment. Pantoprazole is significantly effective both for acute and long-term treatment with excellent control of relapse and symptoms. It is well tolerated even for long-term therapy and its tolerability is optimal. Pantoprazole shows to have minimal interactions with other drugs because of a lower affinity for cytocrome P450 than older PPIs. Although the majority of elderly has concomitant illnesses and receive other drugs, this does not adversely effect the efficacy of pantoprazole because of its pharmacokinetics, which are independent of patient age. Clinical practice suggests that a low dose maintenance of PPIs should be used in older patients with GERD.

Beyond heartburn: a systematic review of the extra-oesophageal spectrum of reflux-induced disease

BACKGROUND

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a chronic condition affecting up to one-quarter of the Western population. GORD is characterized by heartburn and acid regurgitation, but is reported to be associated with a spectrum of extra-oesophageal symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate postulated extra-oesophageal symptoms of GORD.

METHODS

Extra-oesophageal symptoms were identified from population-based studies evaluating their association with GORD (either defined as heartburn and/or acid regurgitation, or diagnosed in general practice). The response of these symptoms to acid-suppressive therapy was investigated using randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. Pathogenic mechanisms were evaluated using clinical and preclinical studies.

RESULTS

An association between GORD and symptoms or a diagnosis of chest pain/angina, cough, sinusitis and gall-bladder disease was evident from three eligible population-based studies of GORD. Randomized placebo-controlled studies (n=20) showed that acid-suppressive therapy provides symptomatic relief of chest pain, asthma and, potentially, chronic cough and laryngitis. Mechanistic models, based on direct physical damage by refluxate or vagally mediated reflexes, support a causal role for GORD in chest pain and respiratory symptoms, but not in gall-bladder disease.

CONCLUSION

GORD is likely to play a causal role in chest pain and possibly asthma, chronic cough and laryngitis. Further investigation is desirable, particularly for other potential extra-oesophageal manifestations of GORD such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sinusitis, bronchitis and otitis. Acid-suppressive therapy is likely to benefit patients with non-cardiac chest pain, but further placebo-controlled studies are needed for other symptoms comprising the extra-oesophageal spectrum of GORD.

Long-term prevention of erosive or ulcerative gastro-oesophageal reflux disease relapse with rabeprazole 10 or 20 mg vs. placebo: results of a 5-year study in the United States

BACKGROUND

Erosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic condition requiring long-term maintenance treatment. However, few trials of proton pump inhibitors in maintaining healing of erosive or ulcerative GERD are conducted for longer than 1 year.

AIM

To compare the efficacy and safety of 10- and 20-mg rabeprazole with placebo in the 5-year maintenance of healing in patients previously diagnosed with erosive/ulcerative GERD healed in an acute efficacy trial.

METHODS

Patients (N = 497) were randomized to receive once-daily doses of 10- or 20-mg rabeprazole or placebo. The primary efficacy measure was endoscopically documented absence of oesophageal erosions or ulcerations.

RESULTS

After 5 years, relapse rates in both rabeprazole groups were significantly lower than with placebo (rabeprazole 20 mg, 11%; 10 mg, 23%; placebo, 63%; P < 0.001 for rabeprazole vs. placebo; P = 0.005 for rabeprazole 20 mg vs. 10 mg). Both rabeprazole doses were significantly superior to placebo in preventing relapse of heartburn frequency and improving patient quality of life. Analyses of adverse events, biopsy findings and laboratory values showed no evidence of clinically significant effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Five-year maintenance therapy with rabeprazole is effective in preventing relapse of erosive or ulcerative GERD and is well tolerated.