Who is effected? Where is it common?

Epidemiology is a branch of medical science which focuses on the populations and regions effected by specific diseases. We will look into the epidemiology of GERD. There are two important terms to understand when identifying epidemiological data; prevalence and incidence. Prevalence is the proportion of a given population which are positive for the condition, in this case GERD. It may be helpful to think of this as a fraction or percentage. Incidence is the number of newly identified occurrences in a given time period. If 100 people were being evaluated for GERD over a two year period and 25 of them were positive for GERD at the end of two years, the incidence would be 25%.

In the US, the prevalence of GERD is 10-20% of the population. Although all ages and races are at risk, the greatest concentration of GERD occurs in the age range of 50-70 year olds. This will likely increase the prevalence of GERD as this age range is the fastest growing and life expectancy continues to prolong (1). East Asia holds the lowest rate of prevalence (2.5-7.8%), with all other nations falling in the range of approximately 10-30%. (2)

It is difficult to capture an accurate prevalence of GERD, as this disease is often self-treated by patients with over the counter medication, unless it progresses to a level requiring medical attention. In comparison to heart attacks or cancer, which are more frequently reported as they require emergent medical attention or the inability to self-treat is obvious.




References:

1. Gastroesophageal Reflex Disease (GERD). Upper GI and General Surgery. Retrieved from http://www.surgery.usc.edu/uppergi-general/gastroesophagealrefluxdisease-epidemiologypathophysiology.html

2. El-Seraq HB., & Sweet S., & Winchester CC., & Dent J. (June 13, 2013). Update on the epidemiology of gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a systemic review. PubMed. Retreived from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23853213