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The prevalence of hemorrhoids in adults

Stefan Riss1, Friedrich Anton Weiser, Katrin Schwameis

  • 1Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. stefan.riss@meduniwien.ac.at

International Journal of Colorectal Disease
|September 21, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Hemorrhoids are common in adults, affecting nearly 40%. A high body mass index (BMI) is a significant risk factor for developing hemorrhoids, increasing risk by 3.5% per BMI unit.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Prevalence data for hemorrhoids are scarce.
  • This study aimed to determine hemorrhoid prevalence and associated risk factors in the general adult population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of hemorrhoids in adults.
  • To identify risk factors associated with hemorrhoid development.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 976 patients undergoing colorectal cancer screening.
  • Flexible colonoscopy and detailed examination were used to diagnose hemorrhoids.
  • Univariate and multivariate analyses identified risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Hemorrhoids were present in 38.93% of participants.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) was a significant independent risk factor (p<0.05).
  • Each one-unit increase in BMI correlated with a 3.5% increased risk of hemorrhoids.

Conclusions:

  • Hemorrhoids are highly prevalent in the adult population.
  • A significant proportion of individuals with hemorrhoids are asymptomatic.
  • Elevated BMI is an independent risk factor for hemorrhoids.
Abstract

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