The association of Gastro-esophageal reflux disease and self-reported myocardial-infarction among World Trade Center disaster exposed persons.

Objective: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the third most prevalent condition among responders and survivors who are monitored and treated in World Trade Center Health Program. Given the evidence of a potential association between GERD and myocardial-infarction, this study used observational data from the World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) located in New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to evaluate the risk of myocardial-infarction from GERD. Methods: The study used five waves of survey data from 2003 to 2020 of the WTCHR to estimate the hazard ratio for persons who reported both GERD and gastroesophageal symptoms (GERS) compared to those with no-GERD in relation to a self-reported myocardial infarction. GERD cases and no-GERD controls were matched by age and sex; pairs of cases and controls were assigned index GERD diagnosis year for start of observation. Results: With a final sample of 13,234, proportional hazard analysis yielded an unadjusted HR = 2.0 (95 % CI, 1.67, 2.49) and HR = 1.7 (95 % CI, 1.32, 2.19) after adjusting for putative confounders. Conclusions: A nearly two-fold risk of myocardial-infarction among those with 9/11 disaster related GERD is concerning given the high prevalence of GERD among persons who were exposed to the 9/11 disaster.