SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2006
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of gastro-oesophageal reflux interventions for chronic cough associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux.
Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 174 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult Patients with Cough.Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases · 2025Guideline
- Chronic Cough Due to Gastroesophageal Reflux in Adults: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report.Chest · 2016Guideline
- Response of chronic cough to acid-suppressive therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.Chest · 2013Pooled it
- The sensitivity of acoustic cough recording relative to intraesophageal pressure recording and patient report during reflux testing.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2014Trial
- Randomised clinical trial: high-dose acid suppression for chronic cough - a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2011Trial
- Trial
- Assessment and management of patients with chronic cough by Certified Respiratory Educators: a randomized controlled trial.Canadian respiratory journalTrial
- Balancing therapeutic benefits and hidden risks of proton pump inhibitors in pediatric practice: a narrative review and update.Clinical and experimental pediatrics · 2026Article
- Diagnostic and Management Approach to Reflux-Related Cough.Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2026Article
- A Retrospective Application of Deep Sternal Wound Dehiscence and Malunion Risk Scores on Sternal Nonunion Patients.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025Article
- Potassium-competitive Acid Blockers for Treatment of Extraesophageal Symptoms and Signs.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2025Review
- WAO-ARIA consensus on chronic cough - Part III: Management strategies in primary and cough-specialty care.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2022Review
- Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for gastroesophageal reflux disease 2021.Journal of gastroenterology · 2022Review
- GERD-related chronic cough: Possible mechanism, diagnosis and treatment.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Review
- Revised Korean Cough Guidelines, 2020: Recommendations and Summary Statements.Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases · 2021Review
- Extra-Esophageal Presentation of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: 2020 Update.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020Review
- Efficacy and predictors of response to inhaled corticosteroid treatment for chronic cough.The Korean journal of internal medicine · 2019Article
- Fundoplication for laryngopharyngeal reflux despite preoperative dysphagia.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2017Article
- Adult and paediatric GERD: diagnosis, phenotypes and avoidance of excess treatments.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2016Review
- Dental erosions and other extra-oesophageal symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: Evidence, treatment response and areas of uncertainty.United European gastroenterology journal · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) on chronic cough in children and adults without an underlying respiratory disease.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane, Medline, and Embase databases, references from review articles. INCLUDED STUDIES: Randomised controlled trials on GORD treatment for cough in children and adults without primary lung disease. Two reviewers independently selected studies and extracted paediatric and adult data on primary (clinical failure) and secondary outcomes.
results11 studies were included. Meta-analysis was limited to five studies in adults that compared proton pump inhibitors with placebo. All outcomes favoured proton pump inhibitors: the odds ratio for clinical failure (primary outcome) was 0.24 (95% confidence interval 0.04 to 1.27); number needed to treat (NNT) was 5 (harm 50 to infinity to benefit 2.5). For secondary outcomes, the standardised mean difference between proton pump inhibitors and placebo was -0.51 (-1.02 to 0.01) for mean cough score at the end of the trial and -0.29 (-0.62 to 0.04) for change in cough score at the end of the trial. Subgroup analysis with generic inverse variance analysis showed a significant mean change in cough (-0.41 SD units, -0.75 to -0.07).
conclusionUse of a proton pump inhibitor to treat cough associated with GORD has some effect in some adults. The effect, however, is less universal than suggested in consensus guidelines on chronic cough and its magnitude of effect is uncertain.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.