title: Five-year follow-up study of patients with reflux symptoms and reflux esophagitis in annual medical check-up field.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify changes in the prevalence of reflux symptoms and reflux esophagitis over a period of 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred thirty-nine study subjects (male: 408, mean age 47.3 years) were assessed using a reflux symptom questionnaire and endoscopic examinations conducted twice, 5 years apart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At enrollment, 88 patients had reflux symptoms and 44 had reflux esophagitis (RE). After 5 years, 58 and 53 patients were diagnosed as having reflux symptoms and RE, respectively. Only 26% of the patients with reflux symptoms at enrollment had the symptoms after 5 years. The presence of reflux symptoms and an increase of BMI were significant risk factors for the presence of reflux symptoms after 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reflux symptoms frequently disappear after 5 years. It is difficult to identify individuals who will still have symptoms after 5 years on the basis of clinical characteristics.
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Internal Medicine, Shimane University, School of Medicine, Izumo.
authors.forename: Takane
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Azumi
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: Shino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koshino
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors