Alginate controls heartburn in patients with erosive and nonerosive reflux disease

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of gastro-esophageal reflux disease patients and healthy volunteers n (%)

Demographic and clinical parameters	GERD patients	HVs	P value
Patients	40	48
Female/male	20/20	27/21	NS
Mean age, yr (range)	48 (18-76)	44 (22-77)	NS
Mean BMI, kg/m2 (range)	26 (20-32)	23 (16-34)	< 0.05
NERD/ERD	25 (63)/15 (38)	NA
Patients with hiatal hernia	22 (55)	4 (10)	< 0.01
Patients responding to PPI therapy	34 (85)	NA

NERD: Nonerosive reflux disease; ERD: Erosive reflux disease; GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; PPI: Proton pump inhibitor; BMI: Body mass index; HV: Healthy volunteer.

Table 2 Impedance-pH features in gastro-esophageal reflux disease patients and healthy volunteers

Impedance-pH features	GERD patients	HVs	P value
% pH < 4 upright	6.9 (5.5-12; 28)	1 (0.2-1.9; 5)	< 0.0001
% pH < 4 recumbent	3.5 (1.2-7; 18)	0 (0-0.1; 2.1)	< 0.0001
% pH < 4 total	5.5 (4.3-9; 22)	0.7 (0.2-1.4; 4.2)	< 0.0001
GER total	65 (54-108; 177)	32 (18-43; 54)	< 0.0001
GER acid	53 (34-72; 95)	17 (8-31; 45)	< 0.0001
GER nonacid	20 (15-37; 116)	18 (14-26; 45)	0.0615
Prox. extension	31 (20-48; 86)	9 (4-17; 30)	< 0.0001

GER: Gastroesophageal reflux; GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; HV: Healthy volunteer.