Gastroesophageal reflux disease in primary care. Prevalence, epidemiology and Quality of Life of patients.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease in a large group of patients consulting their general practitioners (GP) for diverse reasons, as well as the quality-of-life (QoL) of patients with such symptoms.

Patients And Methods: During the same day, participating GPs (N=3 200) systematically asked all of their patients about the presence of heartburn and regurgitation. For all patients who responded positively, the GPs filled in a questionnaire and the patient a specific QoL questionnaire.