Prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux in diabetic patients at a tertiary hospital in Central Saudi Arabia |
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Authors: | Fatimah M. AlTassan Saad S. Al-Khowaiter Haneen E. Alsubki Wateen A. Alhamoud Ameera K. Niazi Badr M. AlJarallah |
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Affiliation: | From the College of Medicine (AlTassan, Alsubki, Alhamoud, Niazi); from the Division of Gastroenterology (Al-Khowaiter), King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, and from the Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology (AlJarallah), Qassim University Medical City, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
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Abstract: | Objectives:To estimate the prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) among diabetic patients and to investigate GERD’s potential association with diabetic complications, and patients’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.Methods:This cross-sectional study used the GERD questionnaire (GerdQ) in 403 diabetic patients attending the outpatient clinics at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University; a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and February 2019. On the basis of a cutoff GerdQ score of 8, we distinguished GERD and non-GERD groups.Results:Gastro-esophageal reflux disease prevalence was 44.9%. Of the diabetic patients with GERD, 76.8% were female (p<0.001). Gastro-esophageal reflux disease patients were older (mean age: 55.27, p=0.038) and had a slightly higher body mass index (BMI) than non-GERD (32.04 versus, 30.20 p=0.006), respectively. Smokers in the GERD group were 1.7% versus 7.2% in the non-GERD group (p=0.007). Peripheral numbness (p=0.023) and nephropathy (p=0.041) were more prevalent in patients with GERD, while myocardial infarction was more prevalent in non-GERD subjects (p=0.038). On multi variable analysis, the only independent GERD risk factors were female gender (p=0.013) and age >65 years (p=0.007).Conclusion:Gastro-esophageal reflux disease prevalence in diabetic patients was 45%. Diabetic patients with GERD were more often female and older >65 years. None of the other tested factors (BMI, smoking status, diabetes mellitus duration, therapeutic plan, or diabetic complications) showed significant difference between GERD and non-GERD groups. |
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Keywords: | diabetes mellitus gastroesophageal reflux diabetes mellitus/complications gastrointestinal motility Saudi Arabia/epidemiology |
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