Heartburn News and Research

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Heartburn, also know as acid reflux, is a painful and burning sensation in the esophagus, just behind the breastbone usually associated with regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric reflux).

Lansoprazole does not control asthma in children

Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are both common illnesses in children. GER in children often occurs without the typical symptoms of heartburn, and physicians frequently prescribe the acid reflux drug lansoprazole to supplement the standard inhaled steroid treatment for children with uncontrolled asthma regardless of GER symptoms.

25 Jan 2012

Heartburn drugs ineffective in kids with asthma: Study

A drug used to treat acid reflux has often been used for hard-to-treat asthma. A new study finds that it does not help children with the breathing disease and may cause side effects.

24 Jan 2012

Medicine may not be a remedy for heartburn

ABC News on December 27th, 2011 with Diane Sawyer featured "Reports of Acid Reflux Symptoms Double" and the epidemic in heartburn issues amongst the United States population, attributing the eating habits of the Baby Boomer generation as the primary cause.

13 Jan 2012

ViroPharma to acquire Meritage

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that it has entered into an exclusive option to acquire Meritage Pharma, Inc., a private company based in San Diego, CA focused on developing oral budesonide suspension (OBS) as a treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic inflammatory disorder of the esophagus.

23 Dec 2011

Heart-related deaths, other emergencies peak in holiday season

Steven Polevoi, MD, has seen it all. During his 23-year career, the medical director of the UCSF Emergency Department has done everything from treat traumatic injuries to deliver babies. While medical emergencies occur throughout the year, Polevoi sees the winter season and its related overindulgence as a pivotal time for preventing emergencies by listening to our bodies.

21 Dec 2011

New, incision-free surgery to manage chronic acid reflux

Adam Vasser would wake up at night choking on partially digested food and liquid. Stomach acid burned the delicate tissue of his throat. "I'd sleep really badly," he said. During the day, he sometimes suffered from heartburn.

19 Nov 2011

Limited alcohol consumption can cause gastrointestinal problems

Just one drink per day for women -- two for men -- could lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and subsequently cause gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, according to the results of a new study unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC.

31 Oct 2011

Observer bias increases likelihood of GERD diagnosis

Patients who complain of upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms often face a diagnosis of either gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or functional dyspepsia. Because the two conditions often overlap, it can be difficult to distinguish between them and diagnose them properly. Yet ambulatory care facilities and hospitals have reported a dramatic increase in the number of GERD-related visits/discharges in recent years.

31 Oct 2011

Case Western Reserve wins NCI grant to study genetic determinants of esophageal cancer

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center are proud to announce the receipt of a highly competitive $5.4 million grant to study genetic determinants of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

11 Oct 2011

UNC professor to co-direct Barrett's Esophagus Translational Research Network projects

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher is one of five co-principal investigators in a new collaborative network created to study genetic determinants of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

10 Oct 2011

Merck wins fourth FOSAMAX trial

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today said a federal court jury in New York found in its favor in the Secrest v. Merck case, rejecting the claim of a Florida woman who blamed her dental and jaw-related problems on her FOSAMAX use.

4 Oct 2011

Older drugs may be better than newly approved ones

It is a common belief that drugs given the okay by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are safer and more effective than they have to be to win approval, according to a new study. Especially in the first few years after a drug becomes available, researchers note, there are still questions about how well it will work and whether it will have any serious side effects warn experts. For example FDA-approved painkiller Vioxx was pulled off the market in 2004 after longer-term evidence showed that it may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

13 Sep 2011

ICU patients less likely to renew prescriptions for chronic diseases after discharge

Patients often do not renew prescriptions for their chronic diseases after they are released from hospital.

25 Aug 2011

Analysis: Medicare, liberals and the lesser of two evils

Writing for Kaiser Health News, Jonathan Cohn asks and answer the following question: Why does the debt ceiling deal give liberals so much heartburn? Many reasons, obviously. But a big one is the possibility that it will trigger automatic cuts to Medicare, the jewel of the Great Society and the program on which virtually every senior citizen depends for health insurance.

16 Aug 2011

Common culinary spice derivative could treat tendinitis

A derivative of a common culinary spice found in Indian curries could offer a new treatment hope for sufferers of the painful condition tendinitis, an international team of researchers has shown.

9 Aug 2011

VeganZyme supplement may aid in reducing digestive discomfort and symptoms

Every year the American public spends billions of dollars on food and beverages that are toxic to the body and devoid of natural enzymes. These may include processed, microwaved or cooked food, meat, cereal grains, milk, gluten, soy, refined sugar, and more. But are they really getting their money's worth? Not without a little extra help, says Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, a world-renowned authority on natural medicine and digestive health.

26 Jul 2011

Large clinical trial to test new device for detecting Barrett's oesophagus

CANCER RESEARCH UK has launched a large multi-centre trial to test a new device for detecting Barrett's oesophagus - a condition that puts sufferers at increased risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus, one of the most deadly cancers.

25 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Will Gang of Six compromise work?; endorsing birth control recommendations; Minn. budget deal

Not surprisingly, the plan has drawn complaints from the left about cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and from the right about defense cuts and tax increases. But the senators are right about the need to simplify and broaden the tax code and to put entitlements on a sustainable footing without slashing aid to the most vulnerable.

22 Jul 2011

Medically treated patients with GERD more likely to develop esophageal cancer

Medically treated patients with mild or no symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are at higher risk for developing esophageal cancer than those with severe GERD symptoms, according to a University of Pittsburgh study published in the current issue of Archives of Surgery.

19 Jul 2011

Medicaid 'vulnerable' in deficit talks

The latest GOP proposal being floated in the House exposes Medicaid to heavy cuts because of the plan's cap on federal spending. Meanwhile, some advocates question the commitment of some Democrats to defending the program.

18 Jul 2011