Manifestations of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Ghrelin Level in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Patients with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

The study investigated the relationship between GERD symptoms, acid exposure time (AET), excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and active blood plasma ghrelin levels in 120 patients, divided into two groups: those with GERD alone (n=45) and those with GERD and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) (n=75). Results showed that 80% of patients with UCTD and GERD experienced EDS compared to 35.48% of those with only GERD. AET was linked to EDS, with a correlation of r=+0.827 for Group I and r=+0.768 for Group II. The De Meester index was significantly higher in the UCTD group. The study concluded that GERD symptoms are closely related to AET and EDS, with EDS symptoms influenced by circulating ghrelin levels.