Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The aims of this study were a) to describe the frequency of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms among adults of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) b) to investigate the patient demographics and lifestyle habits associated with these symptoms, and c) to estimate the patients referred for endoscopy and possibly received medical treatment. Methodology: A nationwide study of 1353 adult individuals, randomly selected in the general Saudi population. A webbased questionnaire survey was used. The Arabian language questionnaire included four parts: (1) Sociodemographic factors and comorbidities; (2) Lifestyle habits; (3) GERD symptoms at least within the prior 3 months, according to AGA guidelines (2013); and (4) Possible referrals for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and regimens or other therapies to manage symptoms. The sample included Saudi Arabians adults only, representative of KSA. Results: Among 1353 adult individuals visited the site, 763 (56.4%) agreed to participate. The average respondent age was 20 (18-67) years. Almost half of the respondents were females (50.5%), married (36.2%), 29% overweight and 28% obese. Almost all women (93.4%) were perimenopausal. About 19% of participants reported daily heartburn symptom noticeable and bothersome. Symptoms consistent with GERD at least two or three times per week also reported such as heartburn (49.3%), regurgitation (35.9%), hypersalivation 32.5% etc. The frequency of these symptoms was not correlated with older ages and gender (p>0.05). Obese/overweight and smokers showed significant higher frequencies of few GERD symptoms: hypersalivation