Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition characterized by tissue damage from or symptoms associated with the abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus (1). Disease severity ranges from mild, infrequent acid regurgitation or heartburn to severe heartburn and erosive esophagitis, which may result in a number of different complications such as esophageal ulcers, strictures, and Barrett’s metaplasia (2). Prevalence of GERD in the Chinese population is considerably lower when compared with the Western population, which has a prevalence of 20% to 30% with weekly reflux symptoms. A telephone survey conducted in Hong Kong reported a prevalence of 8.9% and 2.5% with monthly and weekly reflux symptoms respectively (6).
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