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The study presents results from a five-year follow-up on abdominal symptoms in an age and sex stratified random sample of 4,581 Danes. Abdominal pain occurred significantly more often among women (prevalence: 49%, incidence: 21%) compared to mean (prevalence: 38%, incidence: 15%). Five years later the pain had disappeared in 43% of the men and 31% of the women (p = 0.003). Distension, borborygmi, and altering consistency of stools occurred with a prevalence of approximately 50% and an incidence of approximately 30%, significantly more often among women compared to men. Five years later these symptoms had disappeared in about 20%. Prevalence of both heartburn and acid regurgitation were significantly higher among men (38%) than women (30%), whereas no sex difference was observed regarding incidence of these symptoms (16%). Approximately 30% of subjects who had experienced heartburn or acid regurgitation did not do so five years later. In conclusion, abdominal symptoms occur frequently and recurrently in the general population. This information is of importance to doctors when they evaluate patients with abdominal complaints, but no obvious organic etiology.

It is suggested that these three definitions should be used as standards for irritable bowel syndrome, upper dyspepsia-heart burn type and upper dyspepsia-nausea type, respectively.

In 1984 a random sample of a 70-year-old Danish population of 1119 subjects was questioned about abdominal symptoms and 5 years later survivors were contacted for follow-up. The participation rate at the primary study was 72% and 91% of the surviving subjects attended the follow-up. One-year period prevalences of single symptoms were 1-40%, annual incidence values 1-25% and 5-year disappearance rates were more than 50%. Irritable bowel syndrome occurred with a prevalence of 6-18% depending on definition, and incidences were of a similar magnitude. At the 5-year follow-up 50-79% of subjects originally suffering from irritable bowel syndrome no longer did so. The annual prevalence rate of symptoms of upper dyspepsia varied from 9% to 25%, annual incidence was 3-12%, and cumulative 5-year disappearance rate 45-65%. It is concluded that abdominal symptoms and the syndromes they constitute occur frequently and fluctuatingly in the elderly population.

With the aim to assess the clustering of abdominal symptoms in a random population, data from a cohort study of a 70 year old Danish population were analysed. The cohort comprised 1,119 subjects of which 72% participated in a primary study and 91% of the survivors in a similar study five years later. The following clusters of symptoms were constantly associated. One group constituted abdominal distension, borborygmi, altering stool consistency and number of bowel movements. Pain relieved by bowel movement was associated with this cluster. Nausea and vomiting comprised another cluster. Heartburn/acid regurgitation did not show a consistent association to any other symptoms and may be considered as a cluster of it own. Pain characteristics traditionally related to upper dyspepsia did not specifically relate to any cluster. It is concluded that, in this 70-year-old population abdominal symptoms occur in clusters comparable to clusters in younger populations. The clusters, however, does not totally confirm the traditional concept of Upper Dyspepsia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The aim of the study was to assess the association of abdominal symptoms in a random sample of a general population and to find whether the associations could be confirmed at follow-up 5 years later. The study population was a sex- and age-stratified random sample of people living in the western part of Copenhagen County, Denmark. Of 4807 eligible subjects 79% attended the study and filled in a questionnaire on abdominal symptoms. Five years later the study was repeated and 85% of the survivors participated. Data from both studies were analysed separately for sex, age group and the following pain variables: unspecified abdominal pain, pain located to the epigastrium, pain provoked by stress or hunger, pain relieved by eating and pain relieved by defecation. Three clusters of symptoms occurred in all the analyses: borborygmi/altering stool consistency/distension; acid regurgitation/heartburn and nausea/vomiting. Unspecified pain was associated with all three clusters, pain provoked by stress or hunger and pain relieved by defecation associated with the borborygmi/altering stool/distension cluster, whereas pain in the epigastrium and pain relieved by eating did not show consistent relationships to any of the clusters. Additionally, the clusters associated with each other more often than could be expected by chance. As a consequence of our findings we suggest that the three clusters of symptoms constitute three common abdominal syndromes.

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