[The relationship between extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease, the frequency of heartburn and severity of oesophagitis].

We performed clinico-epidemiologic screening for the heartburn in a representative sample from a total of 1138 subjects and for oesophagitis from 371 ones. In a separate study 120 patients were divided into groups differing in the severity of oesophagitis based on the Savary-Miller classification. The extraesophageal manifestations were diagnosed by clinical and instrumental methods. The close relationship of these manifestations with heartburn and oesophagitis was more pronounced in men than in women. Enhanced severity of the lesions in eosophageal mucosa in patients with oesophagitis was related to increased frequency of ENT diseases and cardialgia but not respiratory disorders. The data obtained give evidence of direct association of heartburn and eosophagitis with coughing, ENT diseases and cardialgia.