Abstract

Objective:
This study aimed to determine the extraesophageal symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) among overweight and obese patients.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was performed at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah. Adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of GERD and a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or higher were included. Using systematic random sampling, every fourth patient’s file was selected, and participants were contacted through phone calls or text messages to complete a structured questionnaire. The tool assessed frequency and intensity of common extraesophageal symptoms using a 6-point Likert scale (0–5), where higher scores indicated greater frequency or severity.
Results:
A total of 434 participants were enrolled. Sleep disturbance was the most frequently reported daily symptom, affecting 13.1% of participants, with the highest mean of a non-validated questionnaire score (XQS) of 1.6 (1.8). Nausea was the second most frequent symptom (12.4%) with a mean score of 1.57 (1.73). Wheezing was the least reported (3.5%) with the lowest mean score of 0.31 (0.95). Regarding intensity, nausea had the highest severity prevalence (11.1%) and mean intensity score of 1.69 (1.74), followed by sleep disturbance at 8.5% with a mean intensity score of 1.62 (1.76).
Conclusion:
Extraesophageal manifestations were frequent yet under recognized in overweight and obese GERD patients. Sleep disturbance and nausea emerged as the most prominent features, underscoring the need for clinicians to incorporate routine screening of these symptoms to improve recognition, management, and patient outcomes.

Key words: Extraesophageal manifestations, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obese, overweight, Saudi Arabia