ABSTRACT Objectives To assess public awareness and interest in retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (R‐CPD) in the United States by analyzing trends in internet search behavior. Methods Using Google Trends, data from Google Search queries from the United States related to R‐CPD between January 2013 to May 2024 were obtained. The means of RSV from 2013 to 2018 were compared to RSV from 2019 (when R‐CPD was officially defined) to the present. Comparisons of the RSV means between these two periods were performed using paired t ‐tests with p value < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results Google Trends data from January 2013 through May 2024 were analyzed for 24 R‐CPD–related search terms. Mean RSV values from 2013 to 2018 were compared with those from 2019 to 2024, corresponding to the period following formal description of R‐CPD. The mean RSV for “R‐CPD” increased by 116% (11.5 ± 3.9 vs. 24.6 ± 15.4; p < 0.002). Significant increases were also observed for related symptom‐based queries, including “why can't I burp” (4.3 ± 4.8 vs. 17.6 ± 4.8; p < 0.002), “can't burp” (5.9 ± 1.2 vs. 9.3 ± 1.6; p < 0.002), “need to burp” (35.7 ± 10.0 vs. 61.7 ± 9.9; p < 0.002), and “no burp” (10.9 ± 4.0 vs. 18.4 ± 5.9; p < 0.002). Across all terms, metropolitan areas demonstrated consistently higher RSVs than broader regional areas. Conclusion Search interest related to R‐CPD has increased significantly since its formal description, suggesting rising public awareness and information‐seeking behavior. Higher search volumes in metropolitan areas may reflect increased recognition, access to specialty care, or disease awareness in urban settings.
Tiwana et al. (Wed,) studied this question.