P. Ryan et al., RISK-FACTORS FOR ULCERATIVE REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY, Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology, 10(3), 1995, pp. 306-312
A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the effects of smok
ing, alcohol consumption, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and o
ther analgesic medications and family and medical history on the risk
of ulcerative reflux oesophagitis (URO). We recruited 191 cases with U
RO diagnosed at endoscopy, 162 hospital controls who had also undergon
e endoscopy and 140 community controls from the Adelaide metropolitan
area. From these three groups of subjects, 134 case-community control
pairs, matched on age, sex and postcode of residence and 142 case-hosp
ital control pairs, matched on age, sex, hospital and endoscopist, wer
e formed. Elevated non-significant risks were found in those smoking a
t least 20 cigarettes per day relative to those who never smoked (rela
tive risk = 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 0.9-3.9 in case-hospital con
trol pairs; relative risk = 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 0.9-3.7 in c
ase-community control pairs). There was no elevation in risk associate
d with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, with alcohol
consumption, factors related to medical and reproductive history, nor
with family history except for paternal history of heartburn (relative
risk = 2.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.2-5.4 in case-hospital control
pairs; relative risk = 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.0-4.0 in case-
community control pairs). With the possible exception of smoking, no o
ther risk factors for ulcerative reflux oesophagitis related to lifest
yle are apparent.