Gastroesophageal reflux disease in noncardiac chest pain: Clinical characteristics and PPI test / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common cause of noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) and is present in up to 60% of patients with NCCP in the West. In Korea, GERD is reported to cause 41% of cases of NCCP, after a reasonable cardiac evaluation. In a recent prospective study in Korea, an empirical trial of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was diagnostic for patients with GERD-related NCCP, as elsewhere in the world, and its optimal duration was reported to be at least two weeks in Korea, which is unlike the situation in the West. The report of Choi et al. showed that about 40% of NCCP in non-erosive reflux disease patients had esophageal disorders, including GERD and esophageal motility disorders, and that the standard dose or a low dose of PPI was effective for managing GERD-related NCCP. However, the retrospective nature of the study has limitations, such as an insufficient systemized symptom analysis and the standardization of the dose and interval of the PPI. A large-scale prospective study is needed to assess the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of NCCP.