Health News
Weight Gain and Acid Reflux Disease
June 1, 2006
If you are a woman, just few extra pounds can increase your risk of acid reflux, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study published on Wednesday.
Excessive weight gain has been known to bring on heartburn and other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, which occurs when stomach contents are regurgitated.
But this new study showed a correlation between even modest weight gain and reflux disease.
A 5-foot 2-inch woman weighing 123 to 136 pounds had a 38 percent greater chance of reflux than a woman weighing 110 to 122 lb, the study found. Both of those weight ranges are considered to be normal.
From 137 to 192 pounds, the risk more than doubled. At 192 pounds, the risk nearly tripled for a person of that height. The study was led by Brian Jacobson of the Boston University School of Medicine.
Factors such as diet, smoking or diabetes did not appear to influence the risk.
Reflux affects 20 to 30 percent of adults at least once a week. In severe cases, the condition can cause nighttime choking and lead to cancer. Doctors typically treat it with drugs that suppress the production of stomach acid.