Belching on exertion - coronary artery disease

ABSTRACT

Belching is a ubiquitous symptom in clinical practice. It could be due to gastrointestinal disease or behavioral, functional and physiological causes. It’s association with acute myocardial infarction, more frequently, with inferior myocardial infarction, has been well established. But exertional belching as a cardinal symptom of coronary artery disease is not well documented and its presence is not mentioned in any standard textbooks. It is rarely reported in the literature. Here we present a female diabetic, who presented with exertional belching as a lone complaint. She was confirmed to have significant coronary artery disease necessitating an intervention. So it may be prudent if clinicians are aware of the fact that exertional belching could be of cardiac origin and needs further evaluation and intervention.