J Neurogastroenterol Motil.  2011 Jul;17(3):235-244.

Epidemiology of Uninvestigated and Functional Dyspepsia in Asia: Facts and Fiction

• Ghoshal UC
• Singh R
• Chang FY
• Hou X
• Wong BC
• Kachintorn U
• Functional Dyspepsia Consensus Team of the Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association and the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology

Abstract

Dyspepsia is a syndrome consisting of epigastric pain, burning, fullness, discomfort, early satiety, nausea, vomiting and belching. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is diagnosed if upper gastrointestinal endoscopy does not show structural abnormality explaining these symptoms. 8%-30% and 8%-23% of Asian people suffer from of uninvestigated dyspepsia and FD, respectively. Most patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia are found to have FD. Patients with FD are usually young and there is no predilection to any gender. Overlap of FD with other functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in Asia. Cultural difference in reporting of symptoms of dyspepsia is well-known. Moreover, dietary factors, socio-cultural and psychological issues, gastrointestinal infection including that caused by Helicobacter pylori, frequency of organic diseases such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer responsible for dyspeptic symptoms in the study population may also influence epidemiology of dyspepsia. There is considerable heterogeneity in the above issues among different Asian countries. More studies on epidemiology of FD are needed in Asia.

Keyword

Dyspepsia; Gastroparesis; Gastrointestinal disease; Helicobacter pylori; Quality of life

MeSH Terms

Asia
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Burns
Dyspepsia
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal
Eructation
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Gastroparesis
Helicobacter pylori
Humans
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Nausea
Peptic Ulcer
Population Characteristics
Quality of Life
Stomach Neoplasms
Vomiting