Diabetes Mellitus
Some disease are specifically associated with GERD; for example, according to a 2007 issue of Diabetes Forecast, as many as 75 percent of those with diabetes have problems with esophageal motility, or the movement of the food along the esophagus. Diabetes also causes delayed gastric emptying - a double whammy. This happens largely because of the nerve damage resulting from diabetes. Most people have no symptoms at first; however, the problem can progress to GERD.