Understanding GERD symptoms in the clinical setting

Abstract

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a highly prevalent disorder which affects 10-30% of the population in Western countries. It is associated with risk of Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma, although the risk is limited and many patients do not have progressive disease. Identification and treatment of GERD symptoms is the main target for the majority of patients with this disease. Since the grading of lesions and symptoms are two independent indicators of disease severity, these two main characteristics for GERD evaluation should be considered separately. Proper symptom assessment as a measure of the severity of disease and for the evaluation of treatment response is required, as are symptom assessment tools for practical clinical use.