We sought to assess the prevalence, severity of symptoms, and risk factors of uninvestigated dyspepsia in a population-based study in Argentina. Eight hundred thirty-nine valid questionnaires were evaluated. Dyspepsia was present in 367 subjects (43.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 39.8-46.6); 110 (13.6%) had overlap with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The group with dyspepsia without GERD consisted of 257 subjects (29.6%; 95% CI, 26.5-32.7), 183 (71.1%) had ulcer-like dyspepsia, and 74 (28.9%) had dysmotility-like dyspepsia. Symptoms were considered very severe in 1.9%, severe in 14.0%, moderate in 59.5%, and mild in 24.5% of the subjects. Dyspepsia was associated with a score >14 on the psychosomatic symptom scale (PSC) (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.75-3.61), a family history of diseases of the esophagus or stomach (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.19-2.52) and an educational level >12 years (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.05-2.29). Dyspepsia is especially prevalent in Argentina. In a significant proportion of dyspeptic subjects, the severity of symptoms interferes with daily activities. A higher PSC, positive family history, and a higher educational level are risk factors for dyspepsia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.