Is GERD Genetic?

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease is defined as a chronic disease of the digestive system where stomach acid flows back into your esophagus.

Frequency

• GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common ailment, so it can be difficult to determine whether having relatives with the disease is a factor in individual cases.

Incidence in childhood

• GERD is so prevalent in infancy and childhood, that an estimated 4 in ten will have the condition in their early years, according to Dr. Judith Sondheimer, chief of pediatric gastroenterology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.

Link to Chromosome 13

• In 2000, researchers at Allegheny General Hospital in Pennsylvania identified a genetic link on chromosome 13, but no one has identified a specific gene as of yet in GERD.

Twins Study Results

• In 2003, a twins study was done in the United Kingdom that found a substantial genetic factor in GERD cases, further fueling the theory that GERD does have familial links in at least some instances of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Future studies

• If further research into GERD isolates a particular gene, the results would be better treatment for patients suffering from the disease.