Reassessment of the principal characteristics of gastroesophageal reflux during the recumbent period using integrated actigraphy-acquired information.

Objectives: Characterization of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) events during the sleep period has been hampered by lack of any patient-friendly technique that allows accurate assessment of sleep duration and awakening time, without confining patients to a sleep laboratory. Our aim was to compare principal reflux characteristics during the upright, recumbent-awake, and recumbent-asleep periods as well as to determine the effect of sleep awakenings on the principal reflux characteristics of the recumbent-asleep period using novel technology that allows integration of recorded actigraphy data into collected pH information.

Methods: Patients with heartburn at least three times a week for the previous 3 months were invited to participate in this study.