title: The effects of ageing on the onset and disappearance of unexplained abdominal pain: a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The population ≥65 years is rapidly increasing, but remarkably little is known about the natural history of abdominal pain with ageing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively evaluate the natural history of abdominal pain (severity and frequency) in a US population, and evaluate potential risk factors (including somatisation) for the onset and disappearance of abdominal pain with increasing age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1988 and 2004, valid self-report questionnaires that recorded gastrointestinal symptoms including severity and frequency of abdominal pain were mailed to randomly selected cohorts of community residents followed over time. This study identified all respondents who answered abdominal pain questions at an initial and follow-up survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand nine hundred and thirteen subjects were included (mean age in years at first survey: 48 ± 12 (SD), mean age at second survey: 59 ± 13 (SD); 53% female). The onset and disappearance rate of abdominal pain over the follow-up were 18% (95% CI, 16, 20) and 47% (43, 50) respectively. The rates of increasing vs. decreasing abdominal pain score were 18% (16, 20) vs. 21% (20, 23) respectively. While younger age at initial survey was associated with the onset of abdominal pain {vs. subjects without abdominal pain, [OR 0.9 (0.7, 1.0)]}, older age at initial survey and times between surveys were associated with the disappearance of abdominal pain {vs. subjects with abdominal pain, [OR 1.2 (1.0, 1.5)]}. Female gender (OR 1.4 [1.0, 2.1]), higher somatisation scores (OR 5.3 [3.2, 8.7]) and larger changes in somatisation score (OR 2.1 [1.4, 3.2]) were positively associated with the onset of abdominal pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing age is associated with the disappearance of abdominal pain in the community.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Choung
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Schleck
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zinsmeister
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Talley
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology