Investigating the link between Anxiety and Reflux Symptoms in Gastroesophageal reflux disease patients: A prospective cohort study. 

<h2 id="objective">Objective</h2><p>This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and their correlation between these mental health conditions and the DeMeester score used to measure the degree of acid exposure in patients with GERD.</p><h2 id="methods">Methods</h2><ul><li>Prospective cohort study of 458 patients.</li><li>Participants underwent endoscopy, 24-hour pH impedance testing, and manometry.</li><li><strong>Assessment parameters:</strong></li><li>Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores with subscale scores of 8 categorized as "anxious" or "depressed." The severity was classified as mild (8-10), moderate (11-14), and severe (15-21).</li><li>The DeMeester score was determined based on the percentage of time with esophageal pH &lt; 4 (overall, during wakefulness, and sleep), total reflux episodes, episodes &gt; 5 minutes, and the longest reflux duration. A score 14.72 was considered physiological, while &gt; 14.72 indicated pathological acid exposure, categorized as mild (14.72-30), moderate (30-80), and severe (&gt; 80).</li></ul><h2 id="results">Results</h2><ul><li>44.1% (n = 202) of patients had abnormally high HADS anxiety scores and 23.8% (n = 109) had abnormally high HADS depression scores (both &gt;7).</li><li>Patients without an indication for surgery (51.1%, n = 234) were the most distressed subgroup. 47.9% (n = 112) of these patients had an anxiety score of 8 or higher.<br>23.9% (n = 56) had an anxiety score of 11 or higher.</li><li>Elevated anxiety and depression scores significantly affected the severity of heartburn and fullness. Elevated anxiety scores were also linked to increased severity of dysphagia.</li></ul><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2><p>Anxiety is common in GERD patients and is linked to the severity of reflux symptoms, highlighting the need for a comprehensive treatment approach.</p>

<ul><li><a href="#objective">Objective</a></li><li><a href="#methods">Methods</a></li><li><a href="#results">Results</a></li><li><a href="#conclusion">Conclusion</a></li></ul>

Investigating the link between Anxiety and Reflux Symptoms in Gastroesophageal reflux disease patients: A prospective cohort study.

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