Proton pump inhibitor failure in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a perspective aided by the Gartner hype cycle

Some patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) experience symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. In the early years of their availability, these drugs were thought to be a highly effective treatment for GORD and realisation that symptom relief was often incomplete came as a disappointment. This review considers the evolution of thinking with the aid of the Gartner hype cycle - a graphical depiction of the process of innovation, evolution and adoption of new technologies. Acknowledging that over-simplistic concepts of GORD have been largely responsible for inflated expectations of PPI therapy is an important step forward in establishing how patients with persistent symptoms, despite PPIs, should be assessed and treated.