Nexium surpasses steroids in treating GERD and esophageal eosinophilia

A new study by researchers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, published in the March 2013 edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found that Nexium is more effective than steroids in treating an allergy of the esophoagus that occurs in combination with GERD.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is the inflammation of the esophagus due to an allergen, in which white blood cells called eosinophils build up in the esophagus. GERD is a chronic condition when acid from the stomach is released, irritating the esophagus. In the present study, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial of 42 male patients with one group taking Nexium and the other ingesting an aerosolized steroid - fluticasone propionate. In the study, there was no statistically significant difference between the drugs' effects on patients who only had EoE. However, patients who had both EoE and GERD benefited more from treatment with Nexium than the steroid.

Eosinophilic esophagitis
Esophagitis causes chest pain and painful or difficult swallowing. It can lead to serious damage of esophageal tissues, in which the function and structure of the esophagus are ultimately changed if not treated. EoE is a specific type of inflammation due to an allergy to medicine, food or some other substance. Typically, doctors from gastroenterology, allergic diseases and immunology can diagnose EoE. Physicians will perform an upper endoscopy to monitor the level of inflammation, horizontal rings, furrows, white spots and strictures on the esophagus. An endoscopy is a tiny tube with a camera that is inserted into one's mouth and esophagus. The doctor will take a biopsy and send it to a lab to assess the levels of eosinophil white blood cells to determine if EoE is present.