Women who adhered to an anti-reflux lifestyle had a decreased risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms, possibly preventing up to 40% of symptoms that occur weekly, according to study results.
“Adherence to an anti-reflux lifestyle, even among regular users of PPIs and/or [H2 receptor antagonists], was associated with a decreased risk of GERD symptoms and may prevent nearly 40%of GERD symptoms that occur at least weekly,” Raaj S. Mehta, MD, from the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues wrote. “[GERD] is more common in white women aged 30 to 60 years. These data support the importance of lifestyle modification in management of GERD symptoms.”