GERD as a Societal Burden

People who suffer from GERD lose an average of 2.4 hours of work per week.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common condition that markedly affects patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and daily activities (JW Gastroenterol Aug 4 2006). The disease also poses a substantial burden to society in the form of decreased work productivity and increased absenteeism. To quantify the relations between GERD symptoms and HRQOL, work productivity, and healthcare use, researchers analyzed data from the 2004 National Health and Wellness Survey; the 10,028 respondents who reported having GERD were matched by age and sex with respondents who did not report GERD.

Compared with controls, the GERD group had significantly more concomitant diseases (P<0.0001) and worse physical and mental health scores on the Short-Form …

Reviewing Author

David A. Johnson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory boardMedscape/WebMD; Pfizer; CRH Medical Corporation; Aries

EquityCRH Medical Corporation

Editorial boardsMedscape Gastroenterology

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Gastroenterology Research Institute Board of Directors