¹Center for Gastroenterological Research Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium

Correspondence: Daniel Sifrim MD, PhD, Faculty of Medicine K.U.Leuven, Lab G-I Physiopathology, O&N Gasthuisberg, 7th floor, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

Received 12 July 2004; Revised  0000; Accepted 13 July 2004.

Abstract

Most of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), previously described in European, Australian, and American studies, are present in Chinese patients with GERD, but at a lower scale. The acidity of gastric contents is reduced either spontaneously or by Helicobater pylori infection. A low-fat diet probably contributes to a more favorable gastric distribution of the meals, reduced obesity, and lowers the number of TLESRs. The prevalence of hiatal hernia is low and esophageal motility disorders are moderate. Like in Western countries, the pathophysiology of GERD in China is multifactorial, with variable combination of moderate abnormalities in individual patients, leading to milder forms of GERD.