HealthDay (12/22, Reinberg) reports, “As the obesity epidemic spreads around the world more people are suffering from acid reflux, likely increasing the number of those who will develop esophageal cancer,” according to a study published online Dec. 21 in the journal Gut. After examining “data on almost 30,000 people who took part in the Norwegian Nord-Trondelag Health Study from 1995 to 2009,” researchers found that “the prevalence of those with” gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) “symptoms increased 30 percent and the number of those with severe symptoms increased 24 percent” during that time period.
Medscape (12/22, Fox) points out, “‘Age was an important risk factor for the incidence of GERD among women,’ the researchers” wrote, “but for men the incidence was stable irrespective of age,” they added.
