A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that weight gain could lead to heartburn and acid influx in women. Even women who gain a few extra kilos than their normal body weight are more prone to developing heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in scientific terms.
The study pointed out that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is directly connected to the person's body-mass index despite the person not being overweight.
The study was conducted on 10,545 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study wherein they were put into different categories according to BMI (Body Mass Index) and were asked to fill up a questionnaire reflecting the frequency, severity and duration of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease or in simple words, heartburn.
It was found out that about 22 percent women showed the symptoms at least once a week. On the other hand about 55 percent of those women reported of having moderate symptoms of GERD.
GERD is caused when the stomach acid enters into the esophagus causing the erosion of the esophagus. It might even lead to esophageal cancer in certain cases. The symptoms of the disease are burning sensation in the chest or a bitter taste in the throat/mouth.
Providing some more insights on the study, Dr. Brian C. Jacobson, lead author of the study at Boston University Medical Center, said, “Even moderate weight gain among persons of normal weight may cause or exacerbate symptoms of reflux.”
For example, a 5 ft 2-inch woman weighing anywhere between 123 to 136 pounds had 38% more risk developing heartburn compared to a woman with a weight in the range of 110 - 122 pounds.
Infact it was found out that women with moderate weight gain are at a double risk of suffering from heartburn and acid reflux compared to women with no weight gain. The study also indicated that losing extra weight reduced the risk of contracting the symptoms of GERD by about 40 percent.
"I see this as one more good reason to try to lose weight if you've put on a few pounds," Dr. Jacobson added.
