The impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease on quality of life - Review of the literature

Background: Quality of life as a medical endpoint has become an important measure in clinical research. Methods: In this article, we review the recent literature that has examined the impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its treatment of quality of life. Results: The increasing interest in measuring patients' quality of life as an outcome reflects an increasing awareness that traditional physiological endpoints often do not correlate well with patients' functional status, general well-being, and satisfaction with therapy. It has been shown that GERD has a significant impact on patients' quality of life; therefore, improvement of quality of life is one of the major goals of GERD treatment. This can be achieved by medical as well as surgical treatment. Conclusion: In addition to the patients' perspective, quality of life is one of the major endpoints in medical research that will help provide more selective treatment regimens for our patients.