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FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) --
Obese older children are at increased risk for developing the painful digestive disease known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), researchers from Kaiser Permanente in California report.
In fact, extremely obese children have up to a 40 percent higher risk of GERD, while those who are moderately obese have up to a 30 percent higher risk of developing it, compared with normal weight children, researchers say.
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"Although we know that childhood obesity, especially extreme obesity, comes with risks for serious health conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, our study adds yet another condition to the list, which is GERD," said study lead author Corinna Koebnick, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena.
While the causes of the chronic digestive disease are not known, obesity appears to be one of them, she noted. "With the increasing epidemic of childhood obesity, GERD may become more and more of an issue," she added.
GERD can undermine quality of life, Koebnick said, noting that the disease can cause chronic heartburn, nausea and the potential for respiratory problems such as persistent cough, inflammation of the larynx and asthma.
GERD has already been linked to obesity in adults, many of whom are familiar with its intermittent heartburn resulting from liquid containing stomach acid that backs up into the esophagus. Untreated, GERD can result in chronic inflammation of the lining of the esophagus and, more rarely, to lasting damage, including ulcers and scarring.
About 10 percent of GERD patients also go on to develop a precancerous condition known as Barrett's esophagus, which in a small minority will develop into cancer. Kaiser researchers noted that GERD that persists through adulthood increases the risk for esophageal cancer later in life.
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