Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of Zuojin Jiawei Formula combined with acupuncture and moxibustion in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) of liver-stomach stagnation heat type and its impact on brain-gut peptides.

Methods A total of 160 patients with GERD of liver-stomach stagnation heat type who were diagnosed and treated at the outpatient department of spleen and stomach of Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from July 2021 to December 2022 were randomly divided into four groups: western medicine group, traditional Chinese medicine group, acupuncture group, and traditional Chinese medicine combined with acupuncture group, with 40 patients in each group. The western medicine group was treated with rabeprazole as the main drug, the traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with Zuojin Jiawei Formula alone, the traditional Chinese medicine combined with acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Zusanli, Zhongwan, Taichong, and Neiguan on the basis of Zuojin Jiawei Formula, and the acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Zusanli, Zhongwan, Taichong, and Neiguan alone. All four groups were treated for 8 weeks, and the clinical efficacy along with Reflux Disease Questionnaire score, main symptoms score of traditional Chinese medicine, esophageal mucosa score, and vasoactive intestinal peptide level before and after treatment were compared among the four groups.

Results After treatment, the total effective rate of the traditional Chinese medicine combined with acupuncture group was higher than the other three groups, and the scores of main symptoms of traditional Chinese medicine, Reflux Disease Questionnaire score, esophageal mucosa score, and plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide levels were lower than the other three groups and before treatment(P < 0.05).

Conclusion Zuojin Jiawei Formula combined with acupuncture can effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms of GERD, promote mucosal healing, and improve treatment outcomes.