If you are a woman, even a few extra pounds can increase your risk of acid reflux, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study published on May 31.
Doctors have had evidence for years that excessive weight can bring on heartburn and other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, which occurs when stomach contents are regurgitated.
The new study of 10,545 female nurses showed a correlation between even modest weight gain and reflux disease.
A 5-foot 2-inch (158 cm) woman weighing 123 to 136 pounds (56-62 kg) had a 38 percent greater chance of reflux than a woman weighing 110 to 122 lb (55-55 kg), the study found. All those weights are considered to be in the normal range.
From 137 to 192 lb ((62-87 kg), the risk more than doubled. At 192 lb, the risk nearly tripled for a person of that height, according to the study, which was led by Brian Jacobson of the Boston University School of Medicine.
Factors such as diet, smoking or diabetes did not appear to influence the risk.
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