Bile reflux in cigarette smokers

ABSTRACT

Forty patients were included in this study, divided into two groups, smokers and non smokers, twenty patients in each. All of them were suffering from dyspepsia for more than six months. Male to female ratio was 21 and their average age was 40 years. Determination of PH bile salts in fasting gastric aspirate, Endoscopy with gastric biopsy and determination of evacuation time of stomach were done for every patient. Gastric PH was 4.6 in the smokers group, while it was 3.8 in non smokers with P> 0.5, but in cases with bile salt reflux PH in smokers group was 6.9, and in non smokers 5.3, the P> 0.05. Bile reflux was observed in 45 of smokers group and in 25 of non smokers group, which was mild in the latter group. The incidence of gastritis was 80 and 65 in smokers and non smokers respectively. Rapid gastric evacuation time was noticed in 75 and 35 in smokers and non smokers respectively