Abstract

H. CURIOSO, Walter et al. Prevalencia y asociación de la dispepsia y el síndrome de intestino irritable en una comunidad de la Selva Peruana. Rev. gastroenterol. Perú [online]. 2002, vol.22, n.2, pp.129-140. ISSN 1022-5129.

Introduction: Dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are the two most frequents functional disorders of the digestive systems. However, there are a few epidemiological reports in Peru and none done in the peruvian jungle. This study was intended to determine the prevalence of dyspepsia and IBS in a jungle peruvian community, and the degree of overlap between these two digestive disorders.  Material and methods: A sample of 231 persons chosen randomly from the population census of a city in Peru (Punta del Este, Tarapoto), and considered representative of the general population in this city, was surveyed by a questionnaire previously validated between January and March 1999.  Results: The prevalence of dyspepsia was 37.6%, and that of IBS was 22.0%. Of the subjects with dyspepsia 38% had IBS, and subjets with IBS, 65% reported symptoms of dyspepsia. The prevalence of IBS was higher among subjects with dyspepsia (37.9%) than among those who reported no symptoms of dyspepsia (12.5%; p<0.01). Frequency of symptoms of dyspepsia and IBS tended to fall with age. Dyspepsia and IBS was associated in 31.4% of the subjects with both disorders (p<0.0001 y OR=4.28). The dyspepsia/IBS ratio was 1.7/1.  Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of IBS and dyspepsia in the study population. The high association found between both syndromes may be due to the common etiopathogenic mechanisms they are such as: a visceral hypersensibility due to peripheral or central mechanisms, bowel motility disturbances or parasitosis. Our study suggests that both dyspepsia and IBS are the manifestations of the same digestive disorder, which has not been fully clarified yet.

Keywords : Dyspepsia; Irritable bowel Syndrome; General population; Prevalence; Association.