Association between body mass index and erosive esophagitis: a meta-analysis

Aim: To conduct a meta-analysis to estimate the determinants of the association between erosive esophagitis (EE) and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: We identified the studies using PubMed. Studies were selected for analysis based on certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted from each study on the basis of predefined items. Meta-analyses were performed to verify the risk factors, such as obesity and gender.

Results: Twenty-one studies were included in this systematic review. These studies demonstrated an association between increasing BMI and the presence of EE [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35-1.88, overweight, odds ratio (OR) = 1.60, P value homogeneity = 0.003, 95% CI: 1.65-2.55, obese, OR = 2.05, P < 0.01]. The heterogeneity disappeared by stratifying for gender. No publication bias was observed in this meta-analysis by the Egger method.

Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates a positive association between BMI and the presence of EE, especially in males. The risk seems to progressively increase with increasing weight.