Body mass index not linked to Barrett's esophagus risk

Studies have shown that a person's Body Mass Index (BMI) can lead to an increased risk of developing Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Studies have also shown that one of the possible complications of long-standing GERD is Barrett's esophagus. This leads us to ask: Is there, then, an increased risk of developing Barrett's esophagus in GERD patients with a higher BMI?

Dr David Forman and colleagues from the University of Leeds in the UK say no.

The researchers examined data from 10 published studies that investigated the association between body mass index and Barrett's esophagus and found that while people with a high BMI have an increased risk of developing GERD, they found no evidence to suggest that a high BMI put GERD patients at a higher risk of developing Barrett's esophagus than their thinner counterparts.

Dr Forman and team concluded in the American Journal of Gastroenterology that the review "provides evidence that increasing body mass index does not present an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus above what would be expected from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease alone."

Dr Forum and his team state that further study is needed to determine if there is any association between a higher body mass index and an increased risk of esophageal cancer. Barrett's esophagus has been associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer.

Free abstract of this study