Report on benefits and risks of GERD treatment

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New plain-language publications from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) compare the benefits and risks of treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive condition that affects millions of Americans and can be treated with medications or surgery. The publications are based on an updated evidence report also released today.

The report concluded that established drug-based therapy is effective. It also concluded that a type of surgical treatment known as laparoscopic fundoplication is at least as effective as drug-based medical treatment for some patients, but also had a higher risk of serious side effects. Another surgical treatment using an endoscopic variation of fundoplication also has been used to treat GERD, but AHRQ’s analysis found there is not enough evidence to compare this type of surgery’s effectiveness with other treatments.

GERD affects as many as 4 percent of Americans, making it one of the most common conditions in the United States. Those who have GERD can spend a significant amount of money on treatments – estimated at $3,355 annually per patient, the report noted. Approximately two-thirds of these costs are related to prescription drugs, but it is commonly recognized that some drugs used to treat GERD, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are overused, according to the report.

Ref and Read more: http://www.newschannel10.com/story/15534985/new-guides-compare-benefits-and-risks-of-gerd-treatments

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