GERD Linked to Increased Odds of New Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosis

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have increased odds of new alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Kimberly Schiel, M.D., from Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and colleagues examined whether irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), GERD, and gastritis/ulcer are associated with a new AUD diagnosis using deidentified medical record data from a large health care system for patients without an AUD diagnosis in 2020 and 2021. The association between each gastrointestinal condition was measured in 2020 and 2021, and odds of AUD diagnosis during follow-up (2022 to 2023) were examined.

Patient age was an average of 56.0 years, and most patients were White (87.6 percent). The prevalence rates of GERD, IBS, and gastritis/ulcer were 24.8, 3.4, and 2.5 percent, respectively. The researchers found no significant association for gastritis/ulcer or IBS with a new diagnosis of AUD within two years after adjustment for covariates. However, GERD was significantly associated with a new AUD diagnosis after adjustment for all covariates (odds ratio, 1.18).

“If we know GERD patients are at higher risk, we can start asking the right questions and offering help sooner,” Schiel said in a statement.

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