Assessing NSAID prescription use as a predisposing factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease in a Medicaid population.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence of GERD associated with prescription NSAID consumption.

Methods: All Georgia Medicaid patients > 25 years of age and continuously eligible for 1996, 1997, and 1998 were included in the study. Patients were excluded if they received a GERD diagnoses during 1996 and 1997. Patients were observed in 1998 and classified into GERD and control cohorts. Comorbidities, demographics, and NSAID prescription consumption were retained and modeled with logistic regression.

Results: The absolute risk of developing GERD without previous NSAID consumption was 0.38. The absolute risk of developing GERD for those patients who consumed one or more NSAID prescriptions during 1996 and 1997 was 0.80. Thus, the relative risk of GERD for NSAID patients was 2.11. GERD was significantly associated with one or more NSAID prescriptions (OR = 1.82), age (OR = 1.05 for 5 year range), gender (OR = 1.31 for females), asthma (OR = 3.24), obesity (OR = 2.77), hiatal hernia (OR = 4.17), tobacco use (OR = 2.56), and alcohol (OR = 1.83). The initial NSAID prescription was responsible for the greatest marginal increase in GERD.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that NSAIDs are associated with GERD especially for females, alcohol and tobacco users, and patients with asthma, hiatal hernia, or obesity.