Gastric emptying in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and postprandial distress syndrome--preliminary results.

Background: Gastric motor disturbances are observed in patients with both Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) forms - with (ERD) and without (NERD) esophageal inflammatory changes, and in Functional Dyspepsia (FD) patients, particularly in those with Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS). Gastric Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is often present in these entities. We tried to evaluate if there is any influence of Hp on gastric emptying (GE) in reflux and dyspeptic patients.

24-hour heart rate variability in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The GERD pathogenesis may be associated with disturbances of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which can be revealed using heart rate variability studies (HRV). The aim of presented study was to estimate the circadian ANS activity in 24-hour HRV recordings in GERD patients, both in non-erosive form (NERD), and with erosive, inflammatory changes in the esophagus (ERD patients). Our results demonstrated disturbances in the parasympathetic ANS part, but they also delivered the proofs for possible sympathetic disorder.