07/26/2026
"Only more recently, a potential relationship between GERD and OSA has been studied [15]. One proposed mechanism is that the greater respiratory effort and the cough associated with respiratory conditions increase the pressure gradient across the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which in turn increases the pressure and promotes the opening of the LES, concomitantly increasing abdominal pressure and ultimately increasing the risk of gastric reflux by facilitating the retrograde movement of gastric contents [16]. Other explanations include hyperinflation interfering with the normal diaphragmatic contribution to the LES, the relaxing effect of bronchodilator medication on the LES function, and the high prevalence of hiatal hernia in these patients [17-19]. Finally, both OSA and GERD share many of the same risk factors. While the prevalence ..." Mahfouz, R., Barchuk, A., Obeidat, A. E., Mansour, M. M., Hernandez, D., Darweesh, M., Aldiabat, M., Al-Khateeb, M. H., Yusuf, M. H., & Aljabiri, Y. (2022). The Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Inpatient Settings: A Nationwide Study. Cureus, 14(3), e22810. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22810