The role of proton pump inhibitors in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease-related asthma and chronic cough.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs in at least one third of patients with asthma and is recognized as a potential trigger for asthma symptoms. The results of studies conducted in patients with both asthma and GERD, in which proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is used to evaluate its effect on asthma outcome, are inconsistent, and many of these studies suffer from different design flaws. However, it does appear that PPI treatment may improve nocturnal asthma symptoms in patients who also have GERD. Moreover, both daytime asthmatic symptoms and pulmonary function seem to improve in some patients with PPI treatment. There is evidence that more severe GERD might predict a more favorable asthma outcome with PPI therapy. For effective management of GERD-related asthma, PPIs should be used at a dose double that of the standard dose for a minimum of 2 to 3 months. Although GERD is also known to be an important cause of chronic cough, there have been only 2 placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy of PPI on GERD-related chronic cough. Results of both of these trials suggest that PPI treatment relieves GERD-related chronic cough. As with GERD-related asthma, it would seem reasonable to use a double-standard dose of a PPI for a minimum of 2 to 3 months in the management of GERD-related chronic cough. However, larger, adequately planned studies are needed to confirm the role of PPIs in the management of GERD-related asthma and chronic cough.