Profile of GERD in the adult population of a northeast urban community.

Study: An observational, cross-sectional, epidemiology study of the characteristics of GERD in a large northeast urban population was performed using a self-responding 84-question survey. Four-hundred and ten surveys were completed from a population sample with demographics comparable to those of the 1990 US Census data.

Results: No differences in heartburn frequency (monthly) were found between white or black, male or female respondents.

Are manometric parameters of the upper esophageal sphincter and pharynx affected by age and gender?

The effects of age and gender on the upper esophageal sphincter's (UES) and pharyngeal manometric parameters were investigated in 84 healthy subjects (45 men, 39 women, mean age = 44 years, range = 18-91). Manometric recordings were performed with solid-state circumferential transducers. Subjects older than 60 years (n = 23) showed a significant lower UES resting pressure.