Prevalence, Incidence and Prognosis of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Random Sample of an Elderly Population

摘要

In 1984 a random sample of a 70-year-old Danish population of 1119 subjects was questioned about abdominal symptoms and 5 years later survivors were contacted for follow-up. The participation rate at the primary study was 72and 91of the surviving subjects attended the follow-up. One-year period prevalences of single symptoms were 1–40, annual incidence values 1–25and 5-year disappearance rates were more than 50. Irritable bowel syndrome occurred with a prevalence of 6–18depending on definition, and incidences were of a similar magnitude. At the 5-year follow-up 50–79of subjects originally suffering from irritable bowel syndrome no longer did so. The annual prevalence rate of symptoms of upper dyspepsia varied from 9to 25, annual incidence was 3–12, and cumulative 5-year disappearance rate 45–65. It is concluded that abdominal symptoms and the syndromes they constitute occur frequently and fluctuatingly in the elderly