Objective: To compare the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in the patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) treated with rabeprazole in the multi-center open study.
Methods: All patients were treated with rebaprazole (10 mg, bid, ac) for eight weeks from Dec. 2002 to June 2003. 74 patients with RE; and 37 patients with NERD defined as negative endoscopic finding, the Demeester scores of 24 h pH monitoring of esophagus > 14.27 and reflux symptoms score > 6, were enrolled in. The impacts on HRQL (SF-36 questionnaire) and GERD-HRQL were assessed before and after therapy.
Results: At baseline, HRQL in NERD patients was impaired greater than in RE patients. After therapy, the symptoms were improved significantly in both groups. The quality of life was improved in 7 subscales in RE patients. However it was much lower in NERD patients. The scale of GERD-HRQL decreased significantly in RE patients than in NERD patients.
Conclusions: NERD causes a more significant impairment in the quality of life than RE, which can be attenuated partly after 8 w rabeprazole therapy, unlike the satisfactory results favored in RE. Further research is needed to more completely understand the value of rabeprazole therapy for NERD.