PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Fatimah M. AlTassan
AU  - Saad S. Al-Khowaiter
AU  - Haneen E. Alsubki
AU  - Wateen A. Alhamoud
AU  - Ameera K. Niazi
AU  - Badr M. AlJarallah
TI  - Prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux in diabetic patients at a tertiary hospital in Central Saudi Arabia
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2020.2.24844
DP  - 2020 Feb 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 151--156
VI  - 41
IP  - 2
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/2/151.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/2/151.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2020 Feb 01; 41
AB  - 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.