[Epigastric pain and regurgitation: descriptive epidemiology in a representative sample of the adult population of France].

The incidence of symptoms in relation to upper digestive tract disorders in the French population is unknown. An epidemiologic survey involving a group of 1,800 apparently healthy subjects, considered to be representative of the French population over age fifteen, was conducted in order to evaluate: a) the incidence of epigastric pain and regurgitation, b) the pattern of symptoms, and c) recourse to medical care. The annual incidence of epigastric pain and/or regurgitation was 35.2 p. 100 (epigastric pain: 19.9 p. 100, regurgitation: 27.1 p. 100). The incidence was not related to age and body weight. There were more women and unemployed subjects in the group with epigastric pain and regurgitation. There were more smokers among symptomatic subjects than among those who were symptom free. In 2/3 of subjects, symptoms evolved by attacks. Usually, the attack lasted less than one day. Compared with subjects with regurgitations alone, subjects with epigastric pain had symptoms of longer duration and had more frequent pain attacks (75 p. 100 of these subjects had at least one monthly pain attack). In this group, epigastric pain occurred after apparently stressful events in 39 p. 100, and chest pain in 26 p. 100 of cases. Subjects with epigastric pain sought medical advice more often (74 p. 100) than subjects with regurgitation alone (24 p. 100). An upper barium swallow was performed in half of the consultants, whereas endoscopy was performed in only 21 p. 100 of subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)