Treatment of patients with erosive esophagitis. A modern view on the problem

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the most common diseases of the gastroenterological profile. There are several forms of illness, including non-erosive forms, erosive esophagitis, Barrett esophagus. The article provides an overview of the drugs used to treat the erosive form of GERD and long-term supportive therapy from the perspective of evidence-based medicine. The main objectives of the treatment of erosive esophagitis are to heal esophagus mucosa lesions, achieve long-term remissions, and normalize the patients’ life quality. The proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have steadily become the mainstay in treatment of erosive esophagitis. These drugs are used at all stages of treatment, both for the relief of symptoms and healing of oesophagus mucosa lesions, and as the long-term supportive therapy. Due to the need for long-term use of IPI, their safety are open to question. The recent publications reported an increased risk of chronic kidney disease, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin B12 deficiency. At the same time, the analysis of studies underlying the risks of long-term PPI use detected some significant disadvantages that reduce their evidence-based value. This paper provides data on the most frequently discussed risks and critical assessment of them