People who develop acid reflux may be more vulnerable to COVID-19, a Queensland study has found.

QIMR (Queensland Institute of Medical Research) Berghofer Medical Research Institute has discovered genes that can cause the digestive disease were linked with a 15% increase in the risk of severe COVID-19 and hospitalisation.

Their study looked at genes predicted to cause gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), one of Australia’s most common gastrointestinal conditions.

QIMR Berghofer researcher Dr Jue-Sheng Ong said observational studies had indicated an association between GORD and COVID-19 due to common risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.