Posted on 09/18/2023 7:16:39 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Reflux disease manifests as acid regurgitation and heartburn and is a known risk factor for esophageal cancer. However, a new study now reports that the majority of patients do not have a higher risk of cancer. A large-scale study from three Nordic countries shows that the cancer risk is only elevated in patients whom gastroscopy reveals to have changes in the esophageal mucosa.
"This is a gratifying result since reflux disease is a very common condition and most patients are found to have a completely normal mucus membrane on gastroscopic examination," says Dag Holmberg.
In reflux disease, acidic stomach contents leak into the esophagus. This can sometimes cause inflammation in the esophageal mucus membrane (esophagitis), which is diagnosed via gastroscopy. It is common knowledge that reflux disease increases the risk of esophageal cancer, but what the cancer risk is for patients with normal mucosa has remained unknown.
"Our study suggests that these repeated gastroscopies are probably unnecessary for people with reflux disease who have a normal esophageal mucosa," says Dr. Holmberg.
The present study is based on national health data registries in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and included over 285,000 individuals with reflux disease and no gastroscopic evidence of esophagitis. The patients were followed for up to 31 years and the researchers registered all cases of esophageal cancer.
The cancer risk was then compared with that for individuals from the general population matched by age and sex and at the same period in the three countries. No increased risk of esophageal cancer was observed in patients with reflux disease and a normal mucus membrane.
By way of comparison, the researchers also analyzed the cancer risk in over 200,000 individuals with reflux disease and esophagitis. These people were at a clearly increased relative risk of developing esophageal cancer.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Isn't it a several step procedure? First you get GERD. Then your mucus membrane changes. Then you are at risk to get cancer.
But I heard here about a month ago that the purple pill will give you dementia. What’s a country boy to do?
Thanks for the ping.
[[”This is a gratifying result since reflux disease is a very common condition]]
absolutely gratifying- very good news-
If you’re suffering from reflux or need a little help getting through the 16 hours of intermittent fasting, look at something called Reflux Gourmet.
I was having reflux nightly that would wake me up chocking and burning in my throat. It made it hard to get my breath for a minute or two. I fixed it with an ounce of lemon juice in a glass of soda water of apple juice before I go to bed and have not had reflux for the last year or so. And there are no side effects to lemon juice. Doc waned me to take Omeprazole. I looked that up and did not like what I read so I found a doctor that antacids fight the wrong thing anyway, the problem being not enough acid thus the lemon juice. Antacids work in the short term but have side effects.
Exercise regularly until 95 age. It will minimize all problems.
As someone who’s experienced acid reflux, the uncomfortable truth is much of it is due to (1) being overweight; (2) eating too close to bedtime; and (3) overeating.
Not 100% of it, of course. I’m sure someone will pipe up that they’re thin as a rail, eat like a bird and never eat late meals, yet still terribly suffer acid from acid reflux... but I suspect that such sufferers are the minority.
So...
Lose weight.
Eat light meals.
Try to stop eating at least 5 or 6 hours before you go to bed.
And your acid reflux will likely improve.
We take a 20mg Pepcid everyday because it does not have the side effects of Nexium and Prevacid. But Mr.GG2 sometimes takes a glass of water mixed with baking soda and lemon juice. He says it really does work.
Lemon juice and baking soda seems to be using two substances that cancel each other.
I tried it and it worked maybe a little better than just the water and baking soda alone.
bfl
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