Meta-Analysis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2022; 28(45): 6410-6420
Published online Dec 7, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i45.6410
Meta-analysis on the epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease in China
Tai-Liang Lu, Shao-Rong Li, Jia-Min Zhang, Chao-Wu Chen
Tai-Liang Lu, Chao-Wu Chen, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410005, Hunan Province, China
Shao-Rong Li, Jia-Min Zhang, Operating Room, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Lu TL and Chen CW contributed to the study design and drafting of the manuscript; Lu TL, Zhang JM, Li SR and Chen CW contributed to the data collection; Lu TL and Li SR contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data; Zhang JM and Li SR contributed to the critical revision of the manuscript; All the authors did approval of the final version for publication.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chao-Wu Chen, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, No. 139 Renmin Road, Changsha 410005, Hunan Province, China. dr.chencw@hunnu.edu.cn
Received: September 7, 2022
Peer-review started: September 7, 2022
First decision: October 19, 2022
Revised: October 27, 2022
Accepted: November 16, 2022
Article in press: November 16, 2022
Published online: December 7, 2022
Processing time: 85 Days and 21.4 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common digestive tract disease that is not easy to cure and has significant impact on the quality of life of patients. There is no large-scale epidemiological survey or systematic review on GERD prevalence in China. China has the world's largest population, dozens of ethnic groups, vast land area and a complex geographical environment. Those factors have caused great challenges for the prevention and control of GERD in China.

Research motivation

It is important to understand the prevalence and spatial distribution of GERD in China because it will provide a reference for disease prevention and control.

Research objectives

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to understand the spatial, temporal and population distributions of GERD prevalence in China and to explore the correlation between the disease and upper gastrointestinal tumours in the spatial distribution.

Research methods

This article pooled the prevalence of GERD overall and in subgroups by using a random effect model. A statistical map of the spatial distribution of GERD prevalence was drawn. Spatial trends and spatial autocorrelations were analyzed. The interrelation between GERD and the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal tumours in different regions was also discussed.

Research results

The overall prevalence of GERD in mainland China was 8.7% (95%CI: 7.5%-9.9%). In the past 20 years, the prevalence of GERD in China has increased from 6.0% to 10.6%. GERD was more common in people aged 40-60, with BMI ≥ 24, and of Uygur ethnicity. The prevalence rate in the western region is the highest, followed by the eastern region, and the central region is the lowest. There may be a local spatial autocorrelation between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the southeast. GERD was correlated with gastric tumours (r = 0.421, P = 0.041) and oesophageal tumours (r = 0.511, P = 0.011) in spatial distribution.

Research conclusions

The prevalence of GERD is on the rise in China. Prevalence varies in different regions and populations.

Research perspectives

In China, GERD should receive more attention. More efforts should be made to prevent and control GERD in key areas and populations.