Changing prevalence of upper gastrointestinal disease in 28 893 Koreans from 1995 to 2005.
OBJECTIVE
Changes in the pattern of gastrointestinal diseases in a population tend to be influenced by changes in diet and lifestyle. Shifts in gastrointestinal disease from 1995 to 2005 in Korea were evaluated, retrospectively.


METHODS
Seventeen nationwide medical centers participated in this study. The cross-sectional review of endoscopic findings in 28 893 patients included 8441 patients from 1995, 10 350 patients from 2000, and 10 102 patients from 2005.


RESULTS
The prevalence of reflux esophagitis increased from 1.8% in 1995 to 5.9% in 2000 and 9.1% in 2005 (P<0.001, the P value was only for the comparison between 1995 and 2005, the followings were as same). The prevalence of peptic ulcer diseases was 18.0% in 1995, 19.1% in 2000, and 20.2% in 2005 (P<0.001). Although no significant differences were noted in duodenal ulcers (8.4, 8.7, and 8.2%, P=0.449), gastric ulcers showed an increasing trend (9.6, 10.5, and 12.0%, P<0.001). The prevalence of gastric cancer increased from 3.4% in 1995 to 4.5% in 2000 (P<0.001), but then decreased to 2.4% in 2005 (P<0.001). The incidence of advanced gastric cancer was 2.5, 3.2, and 1.3%, respectively (P<0.001), and that of early gastric cancer remained constant with rates of 0.8%, 1.3, and 1.1%, respectively (P=0.056).


CONCLUSIONS
The cross-sectional review of data collected in 1995, 2000, and 2005 showed an increase in reflux esophagitis and peptic ulcer diseases. Meanwhile, the prevalence of gastric cancer increased until 2000, but decreased in 2005.
Kim
Jin Il
JI
Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Korea.
Kim
Sang Gyun
SG
Kim
Nayoung
N
Kim
Jae Gyu
JG
Shin
Sung Jae
SJ
Kim
Sang Woo
SW
Kim
Hyun Soo
HS
Sung
Jae Kyu
JK
Yang
Chang Heon
CH
Shim
Ki-Nam
KN
Park
Seun Ja
SJ
Park
Joon Yong
JY
Baik
Gwang Ho
GH
Lee
Sang Woo
SW
Park
Jong Jae
JJ
Hong
Soo Jin
SJ
Lee
Gin Hyug
GH
Seo
Geom Seog
GS
Lee
Sang In
SI
Jung
Hyun Chae
HC
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors