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Patients Have Options for GERD Treatment

People who suffer severe gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD are sometimes encouraged to have antireflux surgery. The other common option is long-term medication with a powerful acid-suppressing drug such as Nexium. A large study called called LOTUS compared these two treatments. LOTUS stands for Long Term Usage of Esomeprazole vs. Surgery for Treatment of Chronic GERD. While both treatments worked quite well during the five-year study, patients taking Nexium did slightly better overall. The authors conclude that most patients with serious reflux disease will benefit from either surgery or medication.
[JAMA, May 18, 2011]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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