Examining the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal tract findings through endoscopy

Background: Upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders are among the most prevalent GI conditions worldwide. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of endoscopic findings among patients with upper GI symptoms in Guilan province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 patients aged over 40 years who were referred to the endoscopy unit of Razi Hospital, Rasht, Iran with upper GI symptoms. All patients underwent endoscopy by a gastroenterologist and were checked for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Gastric samples were sent to a laboratory for histopathologic evaluation by a pathologist. Patients' demographical and clinical data were recorded and analysed using SPSS version 20. Significance was set at P<0.05. Results: Out of 300 participants, 225 were female (75%) and 69.3% had a body mass index (BMI) of >30 kg/m 2 . The most frequent endoscopy findings in the oesophagus, gastric and duodenal bulb were grade A mucosal breaking (58.7%) and erosion (57.0% and 63.6%, respectively). Histopathological analysis showed that the total prevalence of H. pylori infection, gastric atrophy, peptic ulcer and intestinal metaplasia among participants was 59.0%, 3.0%, 0.3%, and 18.0% respectively. Oesophageal lesions were significantly associated with age >60 years (78.2%, P=0.036), while duodenal bulb lesions were more common in smokers (15.9%, P=0.005) and those with a third-degree family history of cancer diagnosis (7.1%, P=0.010). H. pylori infection was significantly associated men and those who smoked (P<0.05). Intestinal metaplasia and gastric atrophy correlated with older age and smoking (P<0.05), while BMI and marital status showed no significant associations (P>0.05). Discussion: The findings of this study highlighted the importance of considering GI screening in the case of any GI symptoms to better prediagnose future complications. Implications for practice: These findings highlighted the importance of age, smoking and family cancer history in assessing upper GI symptoms. Targeted screening in high-risk groups and attention to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, can improve early detection and management of GI disorders. Conclusions: The study's findings highlighted the importance of considering demographic factors for screening upper GI complications and H. pylori infection among patients with GI symptoms. Higher detection frequency of intestinal metaplasia can lead to better management and prevention of GI-related disorders.