Depression and treatment with antidepressants are associated with the development of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND

The roles of depression and antidepressants in triggering reflux symptoms remain unclear.

AIM

To compare the incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in individuals with and without a depression diagnosis and to evaluate risk factors for a GERD diagnosis. The relationship between antidepressant treatment and GERD was also assessed.

METHODS

The Health Improvement Network UK primary care database was used to identify patients with incident depression and an age- and sex-matched control cohort with no depression diagnosis. Incident GERD diagnoses were identified during a mean follow-up of 3.3 years. Furthermore, we performed nested case-control analyses where odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression in multivariable models.

RESULTS

The incidence of GERD was 14.2 per 1000 person-years in the depression cohort and 8.3 per 1000 person-years in the control cohort. The hazard ratio of GERD in patients with depression compared with controls was 1.72 (95% CI: 1.60-1.85). Among patients with depression, tricyclic antidepressant use was associated with an increased risk of GERD (OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.34-2.20), while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were not associated with GERD.

CONCLUSIONS

A depression diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of a subsequent GERD diagnosis, particularly in individuals using tricyclic antidepressants.