Proposed approach to the challenging management of progressive gastroesophageal reflux disease

Table 3 Hallmarks of gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients with carditis in the presence or absence of erosive esophagitis

	Carditis
	No erosive esophagitis (n = 155)	Erosive esophagitis (n = 82)	P
% time pH < 4	4.1 ± 6.5	9.2 ± 7.0	< 0.01
% hiatal hernia	44.2	78.0	< 0.01
LES pressure (mmHg)	10.0 ± 8.8	5.6 ± 5.0	< 0.01
LES abdominal length (mm)	1.0 ± 1.2	0.6 ± 0.8	< 0.01
LES overall length (mm)	2.4 ± 1.4	2.1 ± 1.6	< 0.06
% defective LES	54.2	81.7	< 0.01
% intestinal metaplasia	8.3	19.5	0.02

Values are medians ± interquartile range unless otherwise stated. Data are from Oberg et al[27]. LES: Lower esophageal sphincter.