Table 1

Patients’ demographic details

		Placebo	Omeprazole (10 mg)	Total
Total no of patients	n	150	150	300
Age (y)	n	150	150	150
	Missing	0	0	0
	Mean	53.5	54.8	54.1
	SD	14.7	14.1	14.4
Sex
Male	n	103	103	206
Female	n	47	47	94
Body mass index
Male	n	100	102	202
	Missing	3	1	4
	Mean	26.2	26.1	26.2
	SD	4.0	3.1	3.6
Female	n	45	43	88
	Missing	2	4	6
	Mean	28.1	26.5	27.3
	SD	4.3	4.0	4.2
Ethnic origin
Caucasian	n	150	147	297
Other	n	0	3	3
Smoking
No	n	107	108	215
Yes	n	43	43	85
Alcohol Consumption
No	n	41	53	94
Yes	n	109	97	206
Duration of reflux history (y)	n	106	94	200
	Missing^1-150	44	56	100
	Mean	2.6	2.9	2.7
	SD	3.9	4.0	4.0
Duration of current symptoms (m)	n	148	150	298
	Missing	2	0	2
	Mean	7.7	7.8	7.8
	SD	9.1	9.6	9.3
On H₂ receptor antagonist at time of entry to study	n	77	69
Grade of oesophagitis^1-151
2	n	75	62	137
3	n	57	65	122
4	n	18	23	41

↵1-150 In most of these patients, reasonably accurate information could not be obtained.
↵1-151 Oesophagitis grading scale (Maratka6a): 0, normal oesophageal mucosa, no abnormalities noted; 1, no macroscopic erosions visible, mucosa is erythematous, oedema causes accentuated folds; 2, isolated round or linear erosions extending from the squamocolumnar junction upwards in relation to the folds but not involving the whole circumference; 3, confluent erosions involving the entire circumference of superficial ulceration; 4, erosions as described above plus deep ulceration.