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Prevalence of Uninvestigated Dyspepsia and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Korea: A Population-Based Study Using the Rome III Criteria

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Abstract

Background/Aims

There have been few population-based studies on the prevalences of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and dyspepsia using Rome III criteria in Asian countries.

Methods

A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted by telephone interviews of 5,000 Koreans between the ages of 20–69 years. Gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed by a translated Korean version of Rome III criteria. Uninvestigated dyspepsia (UID) was defined by symptom criteria of Rome III. GERD was defined by troublesome heartburn and/or acid regurgitation occurring at least once a week. The EQ5D assessment tool was used for the evaluation of quality of life.

Results

The prevalences of UID, postprandial distress syndrome (PDS), and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) were 7.7, 5.6, and 4.2 %, respectively. Overlap between PDS and EPS was found in 27.1 % (104/384) of subjects with UID. There were no significant differences in demographic variables between patients with PDS and EPS. The prevalence of GERD was 7.1 %. Overlap between GERD and UID was found in 50.0 % of GERD patients. The EQ5D index of patients without either UID or GERD was 0.92 ± 0.07, and those of patients with only UID, with only GERD, and with both UID and GERD were 0.88 ± 0.09, 0.88 ± 0.11, and 0.84 ± 0.15, respectively.

Conclusions

GERD and UID based on Rome III criteria were prevalent and significantly affected the quality of life in Korea. In Korean patients with UID, there was considerable overlap and there were no significant differences in demographic variables between PDS and EPS.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Grant from Dong-A ST. Authors had complete access to the data that supports the publication.

Conflict of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Byung-Hoon Min

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, 685 Gasuwon-dong, Daejeon, 302-718, Korea

    Kyu Chan Huh & Kyung Ho Song

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Woman’s University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Hye-Kyung Jung

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Young Hoon Yoon

  5. Department of Gastroenterology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Kee Don Choi

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Bora Keum

  7. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Koshin University Hospital, Busan, Korea

    Jung Won Kim

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  1. Byung-Hoon Min
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Functional Dyspepsia Study Group of Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility

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Correspondence to Kyu Chan Huh.

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Min, BH., Huh, K.C., Jung, HK. et al. Prevalence of Uninvestigated Dyspepsia and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Korea: A Population-Based Study Using the Rome III Criteria. Dig Dis Sci 59, 2721–2729 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-014-3243-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-014-3243-y

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