US AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) study places drugs above surgery for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) treatment
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
In the first of a series of 10 studies comparing the effectiveness of medical treatments, researchers at the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) have concluded that, in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), proton pump inhibitor drugs are as effective as surgery. The Medicare-mandated study - soon to be followed by studies on diabetes, breast imaging, depression and the off-label use of anti-psychotic drugs - took eight months in deciding that Nexium and Prilosec can be as effective at relieving symptoms as surgery.