ABSTRACT
Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is strongly associated with sleep disturbances. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the main treatment to improve the reflux symptoms in GERD patients. Aims: To investigate the efficacy of PPIs on nighttime reflux symptoms and associated sleep disturbances in general GERD population in North China. Methods: In this multicenter, prospective observational study, adult GERD patients with nighttime heartburn or regurgitation were recruited from 11 tertiary hospitals in North China during July 2017 to March 2018. All the patients received oral PPIs treatment. Data on nighttime reflux symptoms and associated sleep disturbances were obtained by patient diary and self-report questionnaire, the quality of sleep was defined by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The efficacy of PPIs was estimated by the relief rate after 4-week treatment. Results: Of the 750 GERD patients analyzed, 585 (78.0%) reported nighttime reflux-associated sleep disturbances, and 427 (56.9%) were defined as poor sleepers with a PSQI score >5. After 4-week PPIs treatment, 51.3% of the patients achieved a relief of nighttime reflux symptoms. The complete relief rates for nighttime reflux symptoms and associated sleep disturbances were 32.5% and 51.5%, respectively. PSQI score was significantly improved from 6.82 ± 3.38 at baseline to 4.56±2.50 after 4-week PPIs treatment (P<0.05). Conclusions: PPIs treatment provides an effective relief of nighttime reflux symptoms and associated sleep disturbances and improving the sleep quality in general GERD population in North China.