[Aging-related physical and life style changes in the patients with reflux esophagitis]

Incidence of reflux esophagitis(RE) has increased over the past 10 years in Japan, where aging of the population is rapidly progressing. The majority(73.6%) of the patients with RE consisted of non-elderly males having life style problems and of elderly females suffering from posture alterations. This suggested the importance of the disease onset among elderly female population in addition to that of the non-elderly male population. The risk factors specific to the elderly patients include not only persistent acid secretion and presbyesophagus, but also complication with orthopedic regression diseases with posture changes and osteoporosis. The association with the latter orthopedic regression diseases has been significantly increasing and is suggested to promote development of RE. Further increase in the prevalence of RE is foreseen in this aging-accelerating country.