Better definition of endoscopy-negative acid reflux disease

Endoscopy-negative acid reflux disease is the term used to define the group of patients experiencing heartburn as the predominant symptom with no visible abnormalities at endoscopy. Such patients are not uncommon, and it is interesting to see what characterizes this disease entity. New data from clinical trials have provided information that gives answers to some very relevant questions, such as: the relationship between endoscopy-negative heartburn and oesophageal acid exposure; the association between acid exposure and age; gender and body weight index; the association between hiatal hernia and reflux disease; the course of disease during placebo treatment and its association with degree of acid reflux; and, finally the influence of reflux disease on quality of life.