Who is at risk for Barrett's esophagus?
In general, Barrett's is a disease that develops over time. If someone has had reflux for only several months to a year or two, we don't worry about Barrett's. But many people who have had minor symptoms of reflux are not asked about it. As a result, the length of the reflux is often underestimated.
How common is the condition?
In the group of people with heartburn more than two or three times a week, the prevalence is somewhere between 5 and 15 percent. If we look at the general population as a whole, it is estimated somewhere around 1 in 100.
How do you determine how long someone has had reflux?
If a gentleman in his early 50s said that he really had just started experiencing reflux over the last six months, I would be concerned that he had some heartburn occasionally for a long time and never paid attention to it. In this case, I would be a little more assertive in my questioning, because Barrett's is more commonly seen in people over the age of 50. I would ask him more questions about the reflux than if a female in her early 20s started having reflux.
Is Barrett's more common in men than women?
Barrett's is a disease—or a condition, if you would—that is more common in men, more common in Caucasians, and it is more common in people who have had reflux for more than five to ten years or in those who started refluxing before the age of 35.
