Symptoms of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease: A Comparative Study between Elderly and Younger Patients in Japan

Abstract

The difference in gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms between elderly and younger GERD patients has not been fully studied. Our aim was to examine if there was any difference in the degree of GERD symptoms between elderly and younger patients with reflux esophagitis. Patients who were diagnosed by endoscopic examination as having reflux esophagitis and who answered the questionnaire on the frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD (FSSG) were included. Elderly and younger adult patients were defined as patients aged 65 and over or less than 65, respectively. 596 subjects were included. 184 subjects (mean 71.1 years; 114 males) were classified into the Elderly group, and 412 subjects (mean 51.2 years; 307 males) into the Younger group. The mean FSSG score of the Elderly and Younger groups was 6.7 and 8.4, respectively (p = 0.0024). Among those with severe esophagitis, the mean FSSG score of the Elderly and Younger groups was 8.5 and 8.7, respectively (p = 0.58). Although elderly patients tended to have less degree of GERD symptoms than younger patients, these findings suggest that there may be no significant age-related difference in complaints of GERD symptoms among severe reflux esophagitis patients.