14 peer-reviewed studies linked to GERD / Acid Reflux (diagnostic code 7346) in the VA Ready app, sourced from PubMed and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Every citation is real and links to the source — bring them to your C&P exam or hand them to your VSO.
Meta-analysisPrimary2025
Post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and 24 gastrointestinal diseases: Evidence from Mendelian randomization analysisMedicine (Baltimore) · 2025
- Causal effect of PTSD on GERD demonstrated via MR
- PTSD increases risk of multiple GI conditions including GERD and IBS
- Robust to sensitivity analyses
Why it matters: Strengthens causal argument for PTSD-secondary GERD
View on PubMed ↗Cohort studyPrimary2024
Comorbidity Profiles of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Across the Medical PhenomeBiological Psychiatry Global Open Science · 2024
- GERD ranks among most strongly elevated comorbidities in PTSD
- Cross-system comorbidity confirmed across multiple EHR networks
- Effect persists after demographic adjustment
Why it matters: Population-level support for PTSD-secondary GERD claims
View on PubMed ↗Case seriesPrimary2024
Updates to the modern diagnosis of GERD: Lyon consensus 2.0.Gut · 2024
- Lyon Consensus 2.0 establishes Los Angeles grade B esophagitis as conclusive objective evidence of GERD.
- Defines diagnostic pathways separating 'unproven' GERD (tested off antisecretory therapy with prolonged wireless or catheter pH monitoring) from 'proven' GERD with persisting symptoms (evaluated with pH-impedance on optimized therapy).
- Provides updated thresholds for prolonged wireless pH monitoring and parameters for diagnosing refractory GERD; poorly performing criteria were retired.
Why it matters: Defines the current objective diagnostic standard and severity grading for GERD, useful for substantiating a documented, medically confirmed diagnosis rather than self-reported symptoms.
View on PubMed ↗Cohort studyPrimary2023
Assessment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among Objective Esophageal Motility and Reflux Phenotypes in Symptomatic VeteransJournal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings · 2023
- PTSD significantly associated with functional esophageal disorders in veterans
- Veterans with PTSD more likely to have reflux hypersensitivity and functional heartburn than true GERD
- Symptom severity overlapped between true GERD and functional phenotypes with PTSD
Why it matters: Supports service connection linkage between PTSD and GERD-spectrum esophageal disease
View on PubMed ↗Cross-sectionalPrimary2023
Initial assessment of medical post-traumatic stress among patients with chronic esophageal diseasesNeurogastroenterology and Motility · 2023
- Medical PTSD symptoms prevalent in chronic esophageal disease including GERD
- Esophageal symptom flares correlate with traumatic stress responses
- Bidirectional mind-gut relationship documented
Why it matters: Peer-reviewed nexus between trauma-related stress and chronic GERD
View on PubMed ↗Meta-analysisPrimary2023
Investigating the shared genetic architecture of post-traumatic stress disorder and gastrointestinal tract disorders: a genome-wide cross-trait analysisPsychological Medicine · 2023
- Significant shared genetic architecture between PTSD and GERD
- Mendelian randomization supports causal effect of PTSD on GERD risk
- Shared loci identified across PTSD and multiple GI disorders
Why it matters: Provides biological mechanism for PTSD-GERD secondary service connection
View on PubMed ↗Cross-sectionalPrimary2021
Prevalence of gastrointestinal disease in US Military Veterans under outpatient care at the Veterans Health Administration.SAGE Open Med · 2021
- Retrospective VA patient-record analysis examined the prevalence of common GI diseases (including GERD, peptic ulcer disease, IBS, functional dyspepsia) among US veterans in VHA outpatient settings.
- GI disease prevalence among veterans varied by their period of military service.
- Study notes no prior reliable estimates existed for GI disease prevalence in US veterans and calls for further comparison to the general population.
Why it matters: Directly documents that GERD is among the common GI conditions treated in the VA outpatient system, supporting how frequently veterans present with this condition.
View on PubMed ↗Meta-analysisPrimary2020
Global Prevalence and Risk Factors of Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD): Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.Sci Rep · 2020
- Global pooled prevalence of GERD was 13.98%, estimated at approximately 1.03 billion people worldwide.
- Prevalence varied by region, highest in North America (19.55%) and lowest in Latin America/Caribbean (12.88%), and by country (4.16% China to 22.40% Turkey).
- Multiple risk factors associated with significantly increased GERD risk were identified across the pooled studies.
Why it matters: Independently corroborates the very high worldwide prevalence of clinically defined GERD, with North America among the highest rates, underscoring how common the condition is in the US veteran-eligible population.
View on PubMed ↗Cohort studyPrimary2019
Persistent mental and physical health impact of exposure to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacksEnvironmental Health · 2019
- GERD persistently elevated in trauma-exposed responders and survivors
- Significant overlap between PTSD and chronic GERD years post-exposure
- Inhalational and psychological exposures both linked to GERD
Why it matters: Analog cohort supporting deployment-related chronic GERD
View on PubMed ↗ReviewPrimary2019
Proton Pump Inhibitor-Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.Med Clin North Am · 2019
- PPI-refractory GERD is defined as troublesome GERD symptoms persisting despite optimized PPI therapy for at least 8 weeks with ongoing documented pathologic reflux.
- It arises from dysfunction in anti-reflux protective systems and propagation of physiologic reflux events.
- Management requires personalized pharmacologic, invasive, and endoluminal options matched to the patient's mechanistic dysfunction.
Why it matters: Documents that a defined subset of GERD remains symptomatic despite maximal medication, directly supporting persistence of impairment relevant to higher rating levels.
View on PubMed ↗ReviewPrimary2017
The natural history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a comprehensive review.Dis Esophagus · 2017
- GERD comprises two main forms, erosive reflux disease and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), with NERD making up to 70% of patients.
- Progression from NERD to erosive disease, from mild to severe erosive disease, and from erosive disease to Barrett's esophagus occurs in a minority of patients (ranging 0-30%, 10-22%, and 1-13% respectively).
- Natural-history data are strongly influenced by widespread PPI use, and direct/indirect costs of GERD diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance have risen.
Why it matters: Characterizes the long-term course and complication risk of GERD, including progression to the pre-cancerous Barrett's esophagus, informing prognosis and severity for disability evaluation.
View on PubMed ↗Meta-analysisSupporting2024
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of vonoprazan for proton pump inhibitor-resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease.J Gastroenterol Hepatol · 2024
- Up to 40% of GERD patients experience inadequate symptom relief on a proton pump inhibitor (PPI-resistant/refractory GERD).
- Vonoprazan 20 mg achieved healing of PPI-resistant erosive esophagitis in 91.7% at 4 weeks and 88.5% at 8 weeks, with maintenance up to 93.8% at 48 weeks.
- Symptom (FSSG) improvement was more modest at 74.6% (week 4) and 51.9% (week 8); no serious adverse events were reported.
Why it matters: Quantifies that a large share of GERD patients fail standard PPI therapy, supporting that GERD symptoms commonly persist despite treatment and require escalation.
View on PubMed ↗Meta-analysisSupporting2023
Association between obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Gastroenterol Hepatol · 2023
- A statistically significant association exists between obstructive sleep apnea and GERD (OR 1.53, P=0.0001).
- The association persisted across diagnostic tools and after controlling for gender, BMI, smoking, and alcohol (sensitivity ORs 1.45-1.81).
- Presence of GERD did not worsen OSA severity metrics (AHI, sleep efficiency, oxygen desaturation, Epworth score).
Why it matters: Establishes a robust comorbid link between GERD and obstructive sleep apnea, a frequently co-claimed veteran condition, supporting secondary-condition and comorbidity arguments.
View on PubMed ↗ReviewSupporting2018
Chemoprevention of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.Dig Dis Sci · 2018
- Barrett's esophagus is common in Western countries but progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma is uncommon, drawing largely on case-control and cohort data.
- Once-daily PPI therapy is recommended for Barrett's esophagus patients, with twice-daily PPI reserved for poorly controlled reflux symptoms or esophagitis.
- Aspirin/NSAID use is inversely associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma by reducing neoplastic progression, but routine use is not warranted given low progression risk and bleeding/stroke harms.
Why it matters: Frames GERD's most serious downstream complications (Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma) and their management, relevant to complication-based severity and secondary-condition claims.
View on PubMed ↗