The effect of gender differences in protracted hiccups

Although little importance is attached to hiccups, they may be associated with several diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gender differences on types of hiccups and the relation with diseases involved in the etiology.

Patients presenting to the Kirikkale University Medical Faculty Hospital with hiccups were investigated retrospectively. Patients' age, sex, duration of hiccups, additional diseases, advanced imaging results, laboratory tests, and clinical follow-up were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups; Group transient hiccup (TH) consisted of subjects with a duration of hiccups less than 48 h, and Group protracted hiccup (PH) of patients with a duration exceeding 48 h. The Chi-square test was used for comparisons, and P < 0.05 were regarded as significant.

Eighty-four patients were enrolled, 44.1% (n = 37) in Group TH, and 55.9% (n = 47) in Group PH. Male patients comprised 67.5% (n =25) of Group TH and 89.4% (n = 42) of Group PH (P = 0.027). The conditions most associated with hiccups were gastrointestinal system (GIS) diseases. Correlation was determined between GIS diseases and male gender (P = 0.034), no relation between other system diseases and gender. Correlation was determined between GIS diseases and protracted hiccups (P = 0.037), but no relation between other system diseases and type of hiccups.

Protracted hiccups are more common in males. This gender variation applies particularly to hiccups of GIS origin.