Local residents urged to sign up to Heartburn Health

Heartburn Health is a national research programme and is looking for local volunteers with heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux who are aged 55-79. 

The aim is to find ways to improve care for people who are experiencing these symptoms and it is supported by the NHS and Cancer Research UK. People can sign up for free via the following website: www.heartburnhealth.org

Heartburn Health is creating a community of at least 120,000 people who experience heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux. Taking part will help create a dedicated national bioresource on heartburn and acid reflux that will speed up research that aims to improve care, manage symptoms and the improve the overall health and wellbeing of people with these symptoms.   

The Heartburn Health research team is asking men aged 55 to 79 and women aged 65 to 79 who have acid reflux, indigestion or heartburn or take medication for these symptoms, to spare a few minutes to self-enrol now, through the Heartburn Health website: https://www.heartburnhealth.org/

Heartburn is extremely common, affecting up to 25% of adults in the UK according to Guts UK.  It is estimated that around 1 in 10 people with persistent heartburn will develop Barrett’s Oesophagus, and between 3 and 13 in 100 of those will go on to develop oesophageal cancer, where cells in the food pipe start to grow abnormally in their lifetime. 

According to analysis from Cancer Research UK there are around 9,300 new cases of oesophageal cancer in the UK every year. It is the seventh most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with around 22 deaths a day from the disease. But it is also preventable in as many as 59% of cases.

It only takes minutes to sign up to Heartburn Health and by doing so, participants will represent north east London by being part of a unique national research programme to transform care for people with heartburn.   

The information provided by volunteers will be used securely by approved researchers to answer important research questions.

How to get involved

This research programme is open to men aged 55 to 79 and women aged 65 to 79 who have regular symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux, or indigestion, or who regularly use medication to manage these symptoms.

• You can enrol now online by visiting https://www.heartburnhealth.org/

• You can also call 0808 281 4772 with any questions or support with signing up

• If you receive a text message from ‘NHSresearch’, you can also click the link in the message to sign up.

Visit www.heartburnhealth.org for more information about the programme, including details of how to take part.

What are the benefits of enrolling?

Joining Heartburn Health will give you the chance to take part in ground-breaking research and make important discoveries about reflux and related health conditions, possible.

Who is involved?

Heartburn Health has been created by clinicians and researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London. The NHS and Cancer Research UK are also supporting this research programme.

Additional resources

• Download the campaign poster

• View a short video about the programme: https://youtu.be/2Z63cpdmvvo?si=MT9Bh3zLxsl06xVA