SynthesisAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2010
Meta-analysis: the effects of placebo treatment on gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
Synthesis in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 2 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
32 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Clinical Practice Guidelines: Joint Recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2018Guideline
- [Placebo responders in randomized controlled drug trials of fibromyalgia syndrome : Systematic review and meta-analysis].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2011Pooled it
- Prospective uncontrolled clinical study shows rapid and long lasting relief of heartburn and acid related gastric discomfort with Refluthin.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Heartburn relief with bicarbonate-rich mineral water: results of the randomised, placebo-controlled phase-III trial STOMACH STILL.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2023Trial
- Efficacy and Safety of Vonoprazan in Patients With Nonerosive Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 3 Study.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2019Trial
- Randomised clinical trial: the clinical efficacy and safety of an alginate-antacid (Gaviscon Double Action) versus placebo, for decreasing upper gastrointestinal symptoms in symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in China.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2015Trial
- Randomised clinical trial: the 5-HT4 agonist revexepride in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease who have persistent symptoms despite PPI therapy.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2015Trial
- Trial
- A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of rikkunshito for patients with non-erosive reflux disease refractory to proton-pump inhibitor: the G-PRIDE study.Journal of gastroenterology · 2014Trial
- Clinical characteristics of elderly patients with proton pump inhibitor-refractory non-erosive reflux disease from the G-PRIDE study who responded to rikkunshito.BMC gastroenterology · 2014Trial
- Combined Lyon and Milan Scores Predict Gerd Management Outcome Better Than Either Score Alone or Their Individual Components.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2025Article
- Effects of the Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation System on Heartburn, Regurgitation and Esophageal Acid Exposure in GERD Patients-An Uncontrolled Feasibility Study.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2025Article
- Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Current Insights.Clinical and experimental gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Chronic Abdominal Discomfort Syndrome (CADS): A Narrative Review of Treatment Strategies.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Efficacy and safety of Jianpi Qinghua granules for non-erosive reflux disease with spleen deficiency and damp-heat syndrome: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Minimally invasive endoscopic therapies for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.Frontline gastroenterology · 2023Article
- Placebo: a brief updated review.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2022Review
- Antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS) and antireflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) for gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Endoscopy international open · 2021Review
- Acid Suppression Use Among Infants in One Tertiary Children's Hospital in China, 2015-2018: A Retrospective Observational Study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Article
- Placebo Responses and Placebo Effects in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere appears to be a significant placebo response rate in clinical trials for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Little is known about the determinants and the circumstances associated with placebo response in the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
aimsTo estimate the magnitude of the placebo response rate in randomized controlled trials for GERD and to identify factors that influence this response.
methodsA meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, published in English language, which included >20 patients with GERD, treated with either a proton pump inhibitor or H(2)-receptor antagonist for at least 2 weeks. Medline, Cochrane and EMBASE databases were searched, considering only studies that reported a global response for 'heartburn'.
resultsA total of 24 studies included 9989 patients with GERD. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for response to active treatment vs. placebo was 3.71 (95% CI: 2.78-4.96). The pooled estimate of the overall placebo response was 18.85% (range 2.94%-47.06%). Patients with erosive oesophagitis had a non-significantly lower placebo response rate than patients without it (11.87% and 18.31%, respectively; P = 0.246). Placebo response was significantly lower in studies of PPI therapy vs. studies of H(2) RAs (14.51% vs. 24.69%, respectively; P = 0.05).
conclusionsThe placebo response rate in randomized controlled trials for GERD is substantial. A lower placebo response was associated with the testing of PPIs, but not the presence of erosive oesophagitis.
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.