Korean J Helicobacter Up Gastrointest Res.  2013 Mar;13(1):30-35. 10.7704/kjhugr.2013.13.1.30.

The Antisecretory Therapy Improves Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Patients with Symptomatic Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

• Kim TW
• Ban WH
• Kim SJ
• Ryu SJ
• Ha SE
• Rho JW
• Kong BH
• Kim JH
• Kim EH
• Oh JH

• KMID: 2305163
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7704/kjhugr.2013.13.1.30

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Anxiety and depression are associated with reflux symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the anxiety and depression in patients with GERD will improve with anti-secretory treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Participants who had taken upper endoscopic evaluation and who had symptoms of heartburn or acid regurgitation more than once a week were included through questionnaires. The hospital anxiety and depression scale was used to compare the scores before and after anti-secretory drug (proton pump inhibitor [PPI] or histamine-2 receptor blocker [H2 blocker]) treatment for four weeks.
RESULTS
Eighty-four out of a total 94 patients were randomly assigned to a four week treatment, in which, 46 and 38 patients were each assigned to PPI and H2 blocker, respectively. Regardless of the type of treatment, anxiety scores decreased significantly from 5.8+/-3.8 to 5.2+/-3.9 after treatment (P=0.033). Depression scores of 6.3+/-3.4 before treatment reduced to 5.5+/-3.4 after treatment (P=0.011). Anxiety scores and depression scores decreased significantly after treatment in the H2 blocker group. In the response group, anxiety and depression showed significant improvement (P=0.008, P=0.011).
CONCLUSIONS
Regardless of the type of drugs, anti-secretory therapy is helpful in treating symptomatic GERD patients, not only in relieving symptoms, but also in relieving anxiety and depression accompanied with GERD.

Keyword

Gastroesophageal reflux; Anxiety; Depression; Proton pump inhibitors; Histamine H2 antagonists

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Depression
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Heartburn
Histamine H2 Antagonists
Humans
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Histamine H2 Antagonists
Proton Pump Inhibitors