[Multicentre study "Epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Russia"(MEGRE): first results].

We aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical spectrum of GERD in the urban population of 6 cities in different parts of Russia (St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Kazan, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk and Saransk). A previously validated reflux questionnaire developed at the Mayo Clinic was translated into Russian, culturally adapted and administered. Data was collected from 7812 randomly selected subjects greater than 18 years old with the assistance of the yellow pages. 'Frequent symptoms' were defined as a major symptom (heartburn and/or regurgitation) occurring at least once a week or more. "Occasional symptoms" were defined as an episode of one of the major symptoms occurring less than once a week within the past 12 months. Patients were defined as having GERD if they reported frequent heartburn and/or regurgitation. The average prevalence of frequent and occasional GERD symptoms in Russia was 9% and 38.5% for heartburn and 7.6% and 35.3% for regurgitation respectively within the last 12 months. The average prevalence of GERD in Russia was 13.3% (11.3-14.3%). The prevalence of frequent heartburn decreased with age (r = -0.3); however, frequent regurgitation increased (r = 0.7) with age. As a result, we found that prevalence of GERD increased with age. The average prevalence of GERD was statistically the same in men (12.5%) and in women (13.9%). This prevalence didn't change with age in men but did increase with age in elderly women to 24%. Frequent heartburn and regurgitation (GERD) were significantly associated with frequent belching (24.3%), chronic cough (22.9%), dyspepsia (19.8%), non-cardiac chest pain (15.1%), nausea (14.9%), hoarseness (11.4%), dysphagia (8.1%), odynophagia (7.3%) and constipation (37.8%). Alcohol consumption (prevalence of 60.4% among respondents) and smoking (prevalence of 25.4% among respondents) didn't yield any significant difference in subjects with frequent symptoms. Importantly, we also found that only 52.8% of subjects with frequent chest pain and 29.3% of respondents with frequent heartburn had seen a physician for these symptoms.