Gastroesophageal reflux: clinical diagnosis, current therapy, future trends.

In the usual clinical setting, symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux can be equated with heartburn; however, the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be obscure. Recent improvements in the quality of fiberoptic endoscopy along with other imaging and diagnostic techniques have permitted a more complete understanding of the pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux. The continued development of antisecretory, prokinetic, and mucosal protective agents allows the gastroenterologist a choice of effective therapeutic approaches to deal with contributing factors such as gastric acid secretion, lower esophageal sphincter pressure, or gastric motility. Although standard doses of potent H2-receptor antagonists are the focus of current reflux disease therapy, increasingly aggressive regimens will probably become available for refractory patients.