The association between body mass index and gastroesophageal reflux disease in the World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Cohort.

Background: There is increasing concern about the obesity epidemic in the United States. Obesity is a potential risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This analysis examined whether body mass index (BMI) was associated with physician-diagnosed GERD in World Trade Center (WTC) general responders.

Sex differences in asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease incidence among the World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Cohort.

Background: Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are two common conditions among the responders to the WTC attacks. This study examined whether the cumulative incidence rates of asthma and GERD differed by sex among 24,022 and 23,557 WTC responders, respectively.

Methods: Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the sex difference in the rate of onset of physician-diagnosed asthma or GERD, from 9/12/2001 through 12/31/2015.