Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Russia: a meta-analysis of population-based studies

Aim. To systematize data on the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the adult population of Russia. Materials and methods. The search for studies was conducted in the electronic databases MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and RSCI (Russian Science Citation Index) from January 2000 to December 2022. The review included relevant publications in peer-reviewed periodicals in English or Russian, publications with data from cross-sectional epidemiological studies assessing the prevalence of GERD in the Russian population, studies on adult patients with GERD, and publications with detailed descriptive statistics that allow using the data in the meta-analysis. Results. The final analysis included 6 studies involving 34,192 subjects. The overall prevalence of GERD (prevalence of heartburn +/- regurgitation once a week or more frequently) in the analyzed studies was 25.605% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.913-34.147). The analysis used a random effect model, as there was significant heterogeneity between the results in both groups (I2=99.63%; p<0.0001). The overall mean age of GERD patients in the study population was 48.14 (95% CI 32.25-4.03) years. The prevalence of GERD in the male population was 23.653% (95% CI 13.351-35.832) and 25.457% (95% CI 17.094-34.849) in females. Conclusion. This meta-analysis demonstrated that GERD is a common esophageal disease in the Russian population, affecting approximately one in four country residents.