ABSTRACT
During the last decade, major advance has been made in the treatment of GORD,3,4 which has been revolutionized by the development of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Nevertheless, despite this dramatic improvement to our therapeutic armamentarium, it should be emphasized that none of the drugs available currently for anti-reflux therapy are able to cure the disease, which is frequently (but not always) a chronic relapsing disorder. Although not lifethreatening, recent studies5 have shown that GORD can impair severely the quality of life of the patient, even in the absence of lesions of
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF GORD AND TARGETS FOR ANTI-REFLUX DRUG THERAPY
Although GORD is primarily a motility disorder that is characterized by impairment of the physiological barrier at the gastro-oesophageal junction, the pathogenesis (Fig. 1.1) of reflux symptoms and oesophagitis is multifactorial.6
