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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease globally with increasing prevalence and consequently greater burden on the Healthcare system. Traditionally, GERD has been considered a disease of middle-aged and older people. Since risk factors for GERD affect a growing number of the adult population, concerns have been raised that increasingly younger people may develop GERD. We aim to determine if the proportion of younger patients has increased among the GERD population. METHODS: The incidence of GERD as well as several variables were evaluated during an 11-year period. Explorys was used to evaluate datasets at a "Universal" and Healthcare system in northern Ohio to determine if trends at a local level reflected those at a universal level. GERD patients were classified into 7 age groups (15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and ≥ 70 years). RESULTS: < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of younger patients with GERD, especially those within the age range of 30-39 years.
Yamasaki et al. (Mon,) studied this question.