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03/07/2000
Heartburn, acid reflux and peptic ulcer disease may be costing Americans more than they realize; hundreds of dollars in lost work and lower work productivity. Over a 3-month period, participants in a study just published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology said they'd lost as much as$600 to sick days, doctor visits, and reduced productivity at work because of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease (PUD).

"People who suffer these chronic gastrointestinal diseases already live with pain and discomfort," says study author Theodore Levin, M.D. "For the first time, we know now that they are also losing money to sick days, lost work, and lower productivity. Physicians should keep the magnitude of these costs in mind when making treatment decisions. For the patient, the cost of an illness involves more than just the obvious cost of medical treatment."

Levin, a researcher with Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research and gastroenterologist at the health plan's Walnut Creek, California, medical center, is also on the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Levin worked with lead author Curtis J. Henke, Ph.D. of UCSF to further studies Levin had previously led into the costs of treating GERD and peptic ulcer disease.

"Every day, as many as 15 million Americans have heartburn," says Levin, "and the potential complications of GERD can be serious. Add to that the financial losses we've found with this study, and the impact of the disease is clearly substantial."

Elderly people and pregnant women are especially likely to suffer GERD, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Complications of GERD and peptic ulcer disease can include:
-- Chest pain that can feel as if one is having a heart attack -- Narrowing or obstruction of the esophagus -- Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition in the lining of
the esophagus -- Dysphagia: difficulty swallowing, or feeling as if food is
trapped in the throat -- Bleeding into the stomach, causing the victim to vomit blood or
have black, tarry stools -- Choking: the acid the surges back into the esophagus can cause
shortness of breath, coughing, or hoarseness -- Weight loss

Levin's and Henke's research was funded by TAP Holdings, Inc. Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health care organization. Founded in 1945, it is a non-profit, group-practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 8 million members in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Today, it encompasses Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and the Permanente Medical Groups, as well as an affiliation with Group Health Cooperative, based in Seattle. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes about 90,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and about 11,000 physicians representing all specialties.