Goh K L
Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2004 Sep;19 Suppl 3:S22-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2004.03591.x.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease in the West, which now appears to be also increasing in prevalence in the Asian Pacific region. The reasons for this changing epidemiology are two-fold: an increased awareness among doctors and patients, and/or a true increase in the prevalence of the disease. Prevalence rates of reflux esophagitis (RE) of up to 16% and prevalence of GERD symptoms of up to 9% have been reported in the Asian population. However, the frequency of strictures and Barrett's esophagus remain very low. Non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) appears to be the most common form of GERD among Asian patients accounting for 50-70% of cases with GERD. Among Asian patients differences can also be discerned among different ethnic groups. For example, in Malaysia where a multiracial society exists, RE is significantly more common among Indians compared to Chinese and Malays whereas NERD is more frequently seen in the Indian and Malays compared to the Chinese. The reasons for these differences are not known but may indicate both genetic factors and environmental factors peculiar to the particular racial group. GERD has also been increasing in the region demonstrating a time-lag phenomenon compared to the West. Differing predisposition to GERD among different ethnic groups would mean that such an increase would be more prominent among certain racial groups.
胃食管反流病（GERD）在西方是一种常见疾病，目前在亚太地区其患病率似乎也在上升。这种流行病学变化的原因有两方面：医生和患者的意识提高，和/或该疾病患病率的实际增加。据报道，亚洲人群中反流性食管炎（RE）的患病率高达16%，GERD症状的患病率高达9%。然而，狭窄和巴雷特食管的发生率仍然很低。非糜烂性反流病（NERD）似乎是亚洲患者中GERD最常见的形式，占GERD病例的50 - 70%。在亚洲患者中，不同种族群体之间也存在差异。例如，在存在多种族社会的马来西亚，与华人和马来人相比，RE在印度人中明显更常见，而与华人相比，NERD在印度人和马来人中更常见。这些差异的原因尚不清楚，但可能表明特定种族群体特有的遗传因素和环境因素。与西方相比，该地区的GERD也在增加，呈现出时间滞后现象。不同种族群体对GERD的易感性不同，这意味着这种增加在某些种族群体中会更为显著。
