Prevalence, Incidence and Prognosis of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Random Sample of an Elderly Population

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Abstract
In 1984 a random sample of a 70-year-old Danish population of 1119 subjects was questioned about abdominal symptoms and 5 years later survivors were contacted for follow-up. The participation rate at the primary study was 72% and 91% of the surviving subjects attended the follow-up. One-year period prevalences of single symptoms were 1–40%, annual incidence values 1–25% and 5-year disappearance rates were more than 50%. Irritable bowel syndrome occurred with a prevalence of 6–18% depending on definition, and incidences were of a similar magnitude. At the 5-year follow-up 50–79% of subjects originally suffering from irritable bowel syndrome no longer did so. The annual prevalence rate of symptoms of upper dyspepsia varied from 9% to 25%, annual incidence was 3–12%, and cumulative 5-year disappearance rate 45–65%. It is concluded that abdominal symptoms and the syndromes they constitute occur frequently and fluctuatingly in the elderly population.

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