Chronic Opioid Usage and Esophageal Dysmotility Disorders

Chronic opioid usage is a risk factor for certain esophageal dysmotility disorders, mentions a review article "Systematic review with meta-analysis: Chronic opioid use is associated with esophageal dysmotility in symptomatic patients" by Niu et al. and colleagues. This study is published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

In this study, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of chronic opioid exposure on esophageal motility in patients undergoing manometric evaluation. Multiple databases were searched for relevant patients using opioids for over 90 days.

Esophageal dysmotility disorders were the primary outcomes measured, while the secondary outcomes were three high-resolution manometry parameters.

Study Results

• The analysis included nine studies.
• Opioid usage was tied to higher esophageal dysmotility disorders, including distal esophageal spasm, esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction, and type III achalasia.
• There were no significant differences for hypercontractile esophagus, type I achalasia, or type II achalasia.
• Researchers found basal lower esophageal sphincter pressure, integrated relaxation pressure, and distal contractile integral to be significantly different between the opioid use and non-opioid use groups.
• Opioid use was related to a lower risk of ineffective esophageal motility.

They said, “We found that chronic opioid exposure increases the frequency of esophageal dysmotility disorders. Based on the results of our study, opioid use is related to Type III achalasia and not Type I and II achalasia.”

Further Reading

Systematic review with meta-analysis: Chronic opioid use is associated with esophageal dysmotility in symptomatic patients