New Guidelines on GERD

Epidemiologic data from the U.S. suggest that the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is increasing at an average annual rate of 3%. Clearly, GERD represents a considerable burden to patients as well as an ongoing challenge for clinicians to identify best therapies. Now, the American College of Gastroenterology has updated their guidelines for the treatment of GERD.

The level of evidence supporting each recommendation was designated as high, moderate, or low. Recommendations were designated as strong (i.e., desirable effects of an intervention outweigh any undesirable effects) or conditional (i.e., uncertainty exists about trade-offs).

Notable recommendations are presented here ( Table 1) ).