Different gastoroesophageal reflux symptoms of middle-aged to elderly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients

Symptomatic differences and the impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have not been clarified in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this study is to assess the differences of GERD symptoms among asthma, COPD, and disease control patients, and determine the impact of GERD symptoms on exacerbation of asthma or COPD by using a new questionnaire for GERD. A total of 120 subjects underwent assessment with the frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD (FSSG) questionnaire, including 40 age-matched patients in each of the asthma, COPD, and disease control groups. Asthma and control patients had more regurgitation-related symptoms than COPD patients (p<0.05), while COPD patients had more dysmotility-related symptoms than asthma patients (p<0.01) or disease control patients (p<0.01). The most distinctive symptom of asthma patients with GERD was an unusual sensation in the throat, while bloated stomach was the chief symptom of COPD patients with GERD, and these symptoms were associated with disease exacerbations. The presence of GERD diagnosed by the total score of FSSG influences the exacerbation of COPD. GERD symptoms differed between asthma and COPD patients, and the presence of GERD diagnosed by the FSSG influences the exacerbation of COPD.