Gastroesophageal reflux disease and chronic cough: A possible mechanism elucidated by ambulatory pH‐impedance‐pressure monitoring

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological mechanism(s) of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)‐related chronic cough (CC) is unclear. We aimed to determine the mechanism of reflux‐induced cough by synchronous monitoring of reflux episodes, esophageal motility, and cough. METHODS: Patients with GERD were prospectively enrolled and classified into GERD with CC (GERD‐CC) and without CC (GERD) groups. Twenty‐four‐hour ambulatory pH‐impedance‐pressure monitoring was performed; the reflux patterns, esophageal motility during prolonged exposure to acid and characteristics of reflux episodes that induced coughing paroxysms were analyzed. KEY RESULTS: Thirty‐one patients with GERD‐CC and 47 with GERD were enrolled; all of whose monitoring results fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of GERD. Patients with GERD‐CC had higher reflux symptom scores, longer exposure to acid, higher DeMeester scores, and more frequent reflux episodes, proximal extent reflux detected by impedance, and higher percentage of strongly acidic reflux than patients in the GERD group (all P < .05). Of 63 reflux‐cough episodes identified in the GERD‐CC group, 74.6% of distal reflux and 67.0% of proximal reflux episodes were acidic. More patients had low pan‐esophageal pressure in primary peristalsis (48.5% vs 11.8%, P = .000) and synchronous contraction in secondary peristalsis during prolonged exposure to acid in the GERD‐CC than in the GERD group (63.9% vs 9.1%, P = .000). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Proximal acidic reflux and distal reflux‐reflex are jointly associated with reflux‐induced cough in patients with GERD. Low pan‐esophageal pressure in primary peristalsis and synchronous contraction in secondary peristalsis may play important roles in GERD‐associated chronic cough.