GERD-Related Questionnaires and Obese Population: Can They Really Reflect the Severity of the Disease and the Impact of GERD on Quality of Patients' Life?

INTRODUCTION

There is a strong association between obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD-related questionnaires have been developed in order to objectify symptoms. However, none of them has been tested in obese population.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if GERD score and GERD-Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) can reflect severity of the disease and screen obese patients for GERD preoperatively. GERD's impact on the quality of life of obese patients is being assessed with the use of EORTC-QLQ C30.

PATIENTS-METHODS: Obese patients during their preoperative evaluation were recruited regardless of the presence of GERD symptoms. A targeted GERD symptom history was obtained. Patients completed GERD score, GERD-HRQL, and EORTC-QLQ C30, and then, a 24-h multichannel intraluminal impedance pHmetry (MIIpH) was conducted.

RESULTS

Forty-seven consecutive obese patients with mean age 39.91 years and mean BMI 46.94 kg/m(2) were included in the study. GERD score and GERD-HRQL have a positive linear correlation with DeMeester score (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). EORTC QLQ-C30 does not correlate with DeMeester score.

CONCLUSIONS

GERD-related questionnaires could be used in obese population as preoperative screening tool for GERD. However, our results indicate that the quality of life of obese patients is not affected by the existence of GERD.