Favorable response to proton pump inhibitors doesn’t necessarily diagnose GERD

Response to treatment with a proton pump inhibitor does not identify patients as having gastroesophageal reflux disease. As a result, an initial response should not consign the patient to long-term therapy. These results agree with other research showing that patients can use short-term treatment (2 weeks), stop treatment, and then begin treatment again if symptoms recur, which won’t happen in approximately half of them (BMJ 1999; 318:502–507). (LOE=1a)