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Who is affected by hiatal hernia

The following are some statistics about hiatal hernias:1

  • In the United States and Canada, up to 60% of older adults have hiatal hernias.
  • The incidence is about 50 to 100 times greater in the West than in Asia and Africa.
  • About 90% to 95% of all hiatal hernias are sliding hiatal hernias; the rest are mixed or paraesophageal.

Citations

  1. Harford W, Jeyarajah R (2002). Diaphragmatic hernias section of Abdominal hernias and their complications, including gastric volvulus. In MH Sleisenger et al., eds., Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, 7th ed., vol. 1, pp. 369–373. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Author Colleen Cronin
Editor Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor Terrina Vail
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: April 07, 2006
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