WASHINGTON, May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AstraZeneca presented data from three new studies this week during poster sessions at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) annual meeting in Washington, DC. The studies examined the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and asthma, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and other concomitant diseases. One study also evaluated the impact of GERD on health-related quality of life and work productivity.
GERD symptoms affect approximately 36 million people in the United States. GERD is characterized by frequent and persistent heartburn, which occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve separating the esophagus and stomach) does not close properly, allowing acid to back up into the esophagus. GERD is chronic and may potentially lead to more serious medical conditions, if left untreated.
“The studies presented this week provide additional insight into who GERD affects and why, and point to various connections between GERD and other disease states,” said Debra Silberg MD, PhD, Senior Director Clinical Research, AstraZeneca. “On the basis of these data, we are encouraged to further study the relationship between GERD and diseases such as asthma and IBS, and ultimately evaluate best courses for diagnosis and treatment.”
The posters presented and discussed at DDW include:
The association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma: a systematic review (Presentation #T1176)
Poster Presentation, Tuesday, May 22, 8:00 AM
Hall E, Washington Convention Center
Hashem El-Serag, Sections of Gastroenterology and Health Services Research at the Houston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, presented findings from a systematic review of 29 studies that assessed the prevalence or incidence of GERD in individuals with asthma, or that of asthma in individuals with GERD.
Across all studies, the average prevalence of GERD in individuals with asthma was 60.9%, compared with 39.5% in controls. The average prevalence of asthma in patients with GERD was 4.6%, compared with 3.9% in controls. Investigators concluded that patients with asthma have an increased risk of developing GERD, but it remains unclear whether GERD precedes asthma.
The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome in primary care (Presentation #S1049)
Poster Presentation, Sunday, May 20, 8:00 AM
Hall E, Washington Convention Center
Ana Ruigomez, Centro Espanol de Investigacion Farmacoepidemiologica (CEIFE), Madrid, Spain, presented findings from a population-based cohort study evaluating the risk of IBS following a GERD diagnosis and the risk of GERD following an IBS diagnosis. Patients with a first diagnosis of GERD
(n = 6606) were compared with an age- and sex-matched cohort of patients without GERD (n = 9650), and patients with a first diagnosis of IBS (n = 2932) were compared with a cohort without IBS (n = 4968).
The incidence of IBS per 1000 person-years was 14.5 (95% CI: 11.9-17.7) in the GERD cohort and 3.5 (95% CI: 2.5-4.9) in the comparison cohort. The adjusted relative risk of developing IBS was 3.2 (95% C1: 2.1-4.8) in the GERD cohort compared with controls. The adjusted relative risk of developing GERD was 2.8 (95% C1:1.7-4.9) in the IBS cohort compared with controls. The incidence of GERD per 1000 person-years was 15.0 (95% CI: 11.2-20.1) in the IBS cohort and 4.4 (95% CI: 2.9-6.7) in the comparison cohort. In the IBS cohort, a prior record of general pain and cough were associated with a greater risk of developing GERD. Researchers concluded that there is a link between the two morbidities that warrants further research.
Relationship between symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease and concomitant disease, health-related quality of life and work productivity: a database study in a US cohort (Presentation #M1044)
Poster Presentation, Monday, May 21, 8:00 AM
Hall E, Washington Convention Center
Peter Wahlqvist, AstraZeneca R&D, Molndal, Sweden, presented findings from a database analysis of results from the 2004 National Health and Wellness Survey to better understand the relationship between self-reported symptoms of GERD and self-reported concomitant diseases, health-related quality of life, and work productivity. Respondents with self-reported symptoms of GERD (n Equal To 10,028, mean age: 52 years, 58% female) were age- and sex-matched to a control group without GERD symptoms (n Equal To 10,028). Respondents with GERD were classified by self-reported symptom severity (mild, moderate or severe) and frequency (low or moderate-to-high: symptoms on = 2 days or Greater Than or Equal to days per week, respectively).
Compared with the control group, respondents with GERD symptoms had a larger number of concomitant diseases (mean difference [MD]: 1.6), lower mental and physical health scores (MD: 3.1 units and 4.1 units), and a higher percentage of health-related reduced productivity while at work (MD: 7.5% units) and when performing daily activities (MD: 12.1% units). The difference between the control group and respondents with GERD increased with increasing symptom severity and frequency.
Researchers concluded that increasing severity and frequency of GERD symptoms is associated with more concomitant diseases, lower health-related quality of life, and lower work productivity, and that further studies are needed to help identify patient subpopulations in which re-evaluating the management of GERD may be warranted.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $26.47 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.
In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $12.44 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. For nearly three decades, AstraZeneca has offered drug assistance programs side by side with its medicines, and over the past five years, has provided over $3 billion in savings to more than 1 million patients throughout the US and Puerto Rico. AstraZeneca has been named one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” by Working Mother magazine and is the only large pharmaceutical company named to FORTUNE magazine’s 2007 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” In 2006, for the fifth consecutive year, Science magazine named AstraZeneca a “Top Employer” on its ranking of the world’s most respected biopharmaceutical employers.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: http://www.astrazeneca.com
About Digestive Disease Week (DDW)
DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, DDW takes place May 19-24, 2007, at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC. The meeting showcases approximately 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. For more information, visit http://www.ddw.org .
AstraZeneca
CONTACT: Dana Settembrino, +1-302-885-6980, or Corey Smith,+1-302-885-0034, both of AstraZeneca
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