Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for Barrett's esophagus.
The association was strengthened with increased exposure to smoking until ∼20 pack-years, when it began to plateau.
Smoking has synergistic effects with heartburn or regurgitation, indicating that there are various pathways by which tobacco smoking might contribute to development of Barrett's esophagus.
2012-04-06
Eng.
Gastroenterology
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20852-7234, USA. michael.cook [at] nih.gov
Gastroenterology. 2012 Apr;142(4):744-53
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