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Study: Losing Weight, Elevating Head of Bed Help People with Heartburn Caused by GERD

Losing weight and elevating the head of the bed are two lifestyle changes that appear to help people with heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to a new report in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Stanford University researchers reported, however, that there was "no evidence supporting an improvement in GERD" as a result of stopping smoking, giving up alcohol, or taking other dietary steps such as avoiding coffee, chocolate or spicy foods.

GERD is a common condition in which digestive juices from the stomach seep up into the esophagus, leading to heartburn.

But life-style measures are often tried to treat GERD before resorting to drugs or surgery, so the Stanford researchers set out to determine how effective various life-style measures are for management of this problem.

The researchers identified 16 clinical trials that examined the impact on GERD (by change in symptoms, esophageal pH variables, or lower esophageal sphincter pressure) of various lifestyle measures.

"There was no published evidence of the efficacy of dietary measures," the researchers reported.

"Weight loss and head of bed elevation are effective lifestyle interventions for GERD," the researchers concluded. "There is no evidence supporting an improvement in GERD measures after cessation of tobacco, alcohol, or other dietary interventions."

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, week of May 10, 2006