How prevalent is gastroesophageal reflux disease? It is hard to say exactly just how many people have GERD. What makes it so difficult is trying to figure out who actually has GERD. Some people may have symptoms, but don’t go to the doctor to get diagnosed. It is also possible for people to have symptoms of GERD but have something else altogether. One gastroesophageal problem may look a lot like another. It is common to experience gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occasionally, but GERD is more serious and lasts longer. The difference between GER and GERD is that GERD is a disease. That may seem obvious since the last part of the abbreviation is disease, but telling them apart can be difficult.
With this in mind, many studies have done their best to figure out the epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease. According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, “60 percent of the population at some time during the year, and 20 to 30 percent weekly, experience symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), such as heartburn and acid regurgitation.” GERD has been linked to obesity, and with the rise of obesity comes an increase in GERD. On the other hand, a rise in GERD medications has lead to a decrease in GERD hospitalizations (which means fewer people getting diagnosed). The Healthcare Cost and Utilization project found that GERD is more common in females than it is in males.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that approximately 20% of the US population is affected by GERD. The NIDDK also says that you are more likely to suffer from GERD if you are overweight or obese, a pregnant woman, taking certain medications, or are a smoker or regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.
Healthline.com states that gastroesophageal reflux disease is commonly genetic. “In fact, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) estimates that about 30 to 40 percent of reflux may be hereditary.” Through all my research I have found that it is not possible to say exactly how many people have GERD, or how many new cases there will be each year. Although this may be the case, it is easy to say that it is not an uncommon disease, and all my sources seem to agree that around 20-30% of the US population suffers from GERD to varying degrees. Many people are able to go on with their daily lives without going to the doctor to get diagnosed or treated for GERD, whether they are aware they have it or not.
why the number is increasing?
ReplyDelete