People With GERD More Likely to Develop Asthma (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) -- The first evidence linking gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and asthma has been discovered by Duke University Medical Center researchers. An association between the two conditions was first noted in the 1970s, and since then studies have shown that between 50 percent and 90 percent of asthma patients also experience GERD symptoms. But the actual link between GERD and asthma hasn't been clear. In experiments with mice, the Duke team found that inhaling tiny amounts of stomach fluid that back up into the esophagus -- a hallmark of GERD -- can cause immune system changes that lead to asthma. The researchers placed miniscule amounts of gastric fluid into the lungs of mice over an eight-week period. When exposed to allergens, the immune systems of these mice responded differently than... [read full story]