Prevalence, Clinical Manifestations, and Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Korea

Department of Internal Medicine, SungkyunGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is characterized by the presence of esophageal mucosal injury or by the occurrence of reflux-induced symptoms which are severe enough to impair quality of life. GERD is a common GI disorder in the West, but not in the East including Korea. Heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD in the West, but it is rare in a substantial proportion of patients with GERD in Korea. Epigastric soreness or pain of Korean patients could result from gastroesophageal reflux. The suppression of acid is the mainstay of therapy for GERD. Proton pump inhibitors can be an attractive choice of initial treatment because of rapid symptom relief and healing of esophagitis. Because GERD is a chronic relapsing disorder, most of patients require long-term management. For long-term management of GERD, step-down approach is recommendable considering clinical and economic effectiveness.