Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common disorders in medical practice. The prevalence of GERD in Spain has been reported to be 15%. GERD is associated with esophageal and extra-esophageal complications and with a negative impact on the patients' related quality of life. Several risk factors have been related with the development of GERD, including smoking, coffee intake, alcohol consumption and use of medication, such as NSAIDs. If untreated, GERD symptoms can lead to a decrease of patients' related quality of life and to treatment discontinuation. From this study, it was confirmed that the relationship between GERD and some behavioral risk factors, such as alcohol intake, smoking and coffee consumption, and concomitant treatment with NSAID drugs. Among the protective factors for GERD, antisecretory agents and antacids have shown to be essential for the control of GERD, the use of proton pump inhibitors being the predominant protective factor.