Treating and Managing Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease in the Over 65s: Evidence to Date

PURPOSE: The clinical presentation and therapeutic outcomes of elderly patients may be different from those in younger populations, leading to additional diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. The present study reviewed the findings on the epidemiology, and clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic outcomes of elderly patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). METHODS: A PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus literature search was conducted on the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic findings of elderly LPR patients. FINDINGS: The prevalence of LPR in the elderly population remains unknown. From a clinical standpoint, older LPR patients report overall lower symptom scores and related quality-of-life outcomes at the time of the diagnosis. The required treatment time to obtain symptom relief appears to be longer in older compared with younger patients. Particular attention needs to be paid to prolonged medication use because the elderly population is characterized by polypharmacy and there is a higher risk of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) interactions and adverse events. The plasma clearance of most PPIs is reduced with age, which must be considered by practitioners in the prescription of antireflux therapy. CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation and treatment efficacy of elderly LPR patients differ from those in younger patients. Practitioners need to carefully consider the risk of drug interactions and adverse events in elderly patients.