Increasing Trend of Reflux Esophagitis and Decreasing Trend of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients from a Multiethnic Asian Country

Abstract

The frequency of endoscopic esophagitis increased in Singapore from 1992 to 2001. This increase within a short period of time suggests that environmental factors, of which the decreasing rate of H. pylori infection may be one, are important in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Sex and Gender Differences in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

“…The prevalence of BE is substantially diverse across studies as various results could be obtained due to difference in study design, population, and endoscopic biopsy protocols. 32 The prevalence of BE was lower in women than in men (Table). 7,19,[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] A systematic review after analyzing the PubMed database between 1997 and 2011 has shown that the prevalence of BE was lower in women than in men (28 out of 10 337, range 0.03-4.6% vs 70 out of 12 463, range 0.08-8.2%).…”

“…9,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] A meta-analysis has described that the men/women ratio in the prevalence of reflux esophagitis was 1.57 (95% CI, 1.40-1.76) and the mean age of men with reflux esophagitis was lower than that of women. 7 In a systematic review based on data of 67 056 patients using the PubMed database between 1997 and 2011 (including 12 unbiased population-based studies, 8 studies from Asian countries, 2 studies from Europe, and 1 study from the US), the prevalence of reflux esophagitis was lower in women compared to that men (women: 6.1 ± 1.6%, range: 2.1-16.8%; men: 15.9 ± 2.5%, range: 7.0-28.1%; P < 0.01).…”

The view of gastroenterologists on non‐cardiac chest pain in Asia

“…Almost all gastroenterologists in this survey encountered patients presented with NCCP in (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) the preceding 6 months. The majority stated that the number of NCCP patients was increasing and the most common cause of NCCP was GERD.…”

“…This finding is corroborated by the fact that incidence of GERD is rising in Asia. [9][10][11] It may also be a reflection of the increasing awareness of GI-related causes of NCCP by the general practitioners, internists and cardiologists. It is interesting to see that despite almost all of the gastroenterologists (94%) believed that they should manage patients with NCCP, less than half (41%) were comfortable in diagnosing NCCP.…”

Electrical Stimulation Therapy for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

“…1 Furthermore in Asia, where the prevalence of GERD is traditionally low, several reports suggest a rapid increase in prevalence over the last several years. [2][3][4] The primary option for the treatment of GERD is acid suppressive therapy, which has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms and healing esophagitis. 5,6 A large group of GERD patients however attend surgical and gastroenterology clinics for alternative treatment options as they have persistent troublesome GERD symptoms despite of optimal acid suppression or are unwilling to undergo lifelong medical treatment.…”