Association of Treated and Untreated Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in the First Year of Life with the Subsequent Development of AsthmaShow others and affiliations
2021 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ISSN 1661-7827, E-ISSN 1660-4601, Vol. 18, no 18, article id 9633
Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Introduction: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as well as its treatment with acid-suppressive medications have been considered possible risk factors for the development of asthma, but few studies have disentangled the role of GERD with that of its treatment. The present study aimed at estimating the association of treated and untreated GERD in the first year of life with the risk of asthma.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study including all children born between 2004 and 2015 registered in Pedianet, an Italian primary care database. We analyzed the association of children exposed to GERD (both treated and untreated) in the first year of life with the risk of developing clinically assessed asthma (clinical asthma) after 3 years. Secondary outcomes included asthma identified by anti-asthmatic medications (treated asthma) and wheezing after 3 years. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated comparing children with and without GERD, stratifying by treatment with acid-suppressive medications.
Results: Out of 86,381 children, 1652 (1.9%) were affected by GERD in the first year of life, of which 871 (53%) were treated with acid-suppressive medications. Compared with controls, children with GERD were at increased risk of clinical asthma (HR: 1.40, 95% CI 1.15-1.70). Risks were similar between treated and untreated GERD (p = 0.41). Comparable results were found for treated asthma, but no risk increase was seen for wheezing.
Discussion: Early-life GERD was associated with subsequent childhood asthma. Similar risks among children with treated and untreated GERD suggest that acid-suppressive medications are unlikely to play a major role in the development asthma.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI , 2021. Vol. 18, no 18, article id 9633
Keywords [en]
GERD, acid-suppressive medications, asthma, pediatric
National Category
Respiratory Medicine and Allergy Pediatrics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-94940DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189633ISI: 000699970600001PubMedID: 34574556Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85115106124OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-94940DiVA, id: diva2:1602472
2021-10-122021-10-122021-10-12Bibliographically approved