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Nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux and pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT in a general population : the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study

Emilsson, Össur Ingi ; Malinovschi, Andrei LU ; Johnsson, Åse ; Ljunggren, Mirjam ; Blomberg, Anders ; Pesonen, Ida ; Sköld, Magnus ; Ahmadi, Zainab LU ; Moberg, Anna and Hansen, Tomas (2025) In Thorax 81.
Abstract

Background: Nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux (nGER) is common in people with respiratory diseases, but its association with pulmonary abnormalities is not known. Aim: Investigate the association between nGER and pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT in an adult general population. Methods: In total, 28 846 individuals from the general population aged 50-64 years completed questionnaires and underwent chest CT, in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (www.scapis.org). Participants with nGER symptoms on ≥1 night per week were defined as having nGER. Chest CT was evaluated for bronchial wall thickening, bronchiectasis, reticular abnormalities, honeycombing, cysts and ground glass opacities. Ever-smoking, current asthma, inflammatory... (More)

Background: Nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux (nGER) is common in people with respiratory diseases, but its association with pulmonary abnormalities is not known. Aim: Investigate the association between nGER and pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT in an adult general population. Methods: In total, 28 846 individuals from the general population aged 50-64 years completed questionnaires and underwent chest CT, in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (www.scapis.org). Participants with nGER symptoms on ≥1 night per week were defined as having nGER. Chest CT was evaluated for bronchial wall thickening, bronchiectasis, reticular abnormalities, honeycombing, cysts and ground glass opacities. Ever-smoking, current asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune disease were defined as risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, education level and study centre. Results: The prevalence of nGER was 9.4%. Among participants with risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities (n=4004), having nGER was positively associated with bronchial wall thickening (adjusted OR (aOR) (95% CI): 1.25 (1.07 to 1.48)) and reticular abnormalities (aOR (95% CI): 1.51 (1.04 to 2.17)), but negatively associated with cysts (aOR (95% CI): 0.68 (0.48 to 0.97)). Among participants without risk factors for CT abnormalities (n=2555), nGER did not relate with pulmonary abnormalities. Conclusions: In a middle-aged general population, nGER was not associated with pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT. However, in the presence of other risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities, nGER was associated with bronchial wall thickening and reticular abnormalities. Persons with nGER and risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities should, therefore, be evaluated for respiratory disease and treated appropriately.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bronchiectasis, Imaging/CT MRI etc, Interstitial Fibrosis
in
Thorax
volume
81
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:105012953928
  • pmid:40784748
ISSN
0040-6376
DOI
10.1136/thorax-2024-222570
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025.
id
efe7433c-33cc-4566-9926-5b6c5c306def
date added to LUP
2026-01-26 15:58:49
date last changed
2026-01-27 03:00:05
@article{efe7433c-33cc-4566-9926-5b6c5c306def,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux (nGER) is common in people with respiratory diseases, but its association with pulmonary abnormalities is not known. Aim: Investigate the association between nGER and pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT in an adult general population. Methods: In total, 28 846 individuals from the general population aged 50-64 years completed questionnaires and underwent chest CT, in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (www.scapis.org). Participants with nGER symptoms on ≥1 night per week were defined as having nGER. Chest CT was evaluated for bronchial wall thickening, bronchiectasis, reticular abnormalities, honeycombing, cysts and ground glass opacities. Ever-smoking, current asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune disease were defined as risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, education level and study centre. Results: The prevalence of nGER was 9.4%. Among participants with risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities (n=4004), having nGER was positively associated with bronchial wall thickening (adjusted OR (aOR) (95% CI): 1.25 (1.07 to 1.48)) and reticular abnormalities (aOR (95% CI): 1.51 (1.04 to 2.17)), but negatively associated with cysts (aOR (95% CI): 0.68 (0.48 to 0.97)). Among participants without risk factors for CT abnormalities (n=2555), nGER did not relate with pulmonary abnormalities. Conclusions: In a middle-aged general population, nGER was not associated with pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT. However, in the presence of other risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities, nGER was associated with bronchial wall thickening and reticular abnormalities. Persons with nGER and risk factors for pulmonary abnormalities should, therefore, be evaluated for respiratory disease and treated appropriately.</p>}},
  author       = {{Emilsson, Össur Ingi and Malinovschi, Andrei and Johnsson, Åse and Ljunggren, Mirjam and Blomberg, Anders and Pesonen, Ida and Sköld, Magnus and Ahmadi, Zainab and Moberg, Anna and Hansen, Tomas}},
  issn         = {{0040-6376}},
  keywords     = {{Bronchiectasis; Imaging/CT MRI etc; Interstitial Fibrosis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Thorax}},
  title        = {{Nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux and pulmonary abnormalities on chest CT in a general population : the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2024-222570}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/thorax-2024-222570}},
  volume       = {{81}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}