ArticleClinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association2022
Epidemiologic and Economic Burden of Achalasia in the United States.
Article in Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Impact of myotomy length on per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) outcomes for achalasia: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.Surgical endoscopy · 2025Pooled it
- Global trends in incidence and prevalence of achalasia, 1925-2021: A systematic review and meta-analysis.United European gastroenterology journal · 2024Pooled it
- Clinical characteristics and manometric findings of esophageal achalasia-a systematic review regarding differences among three subtypes.Journal of smooth muscle research = Nihon Heikatsukin Gakkai kikanshi · 2023Pooled it
- Utilization trends for esophageal motility testing in the United States.Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus · 2026Article
- Modern treatment for achalasia: endoscopic and surgical therapies.The British journal of surgery · 2026Review
- Peroral plication of the esophagus (POPE) for Achalasia - review of radiologic findings.Abdominal radiology (New York) · 2026Review
- Hormone replacement therapy and the risk of achalasia in postmenopausal women: A nationwide cohort study.Medicine · 2026Article
- Management of Recurrent Dysphagia after POEM and Heller Myotomy: Current Strategies and Future Directions.Current gastroenterology reports · 2026Review
- A Decade of Change: National Trends in Management and Outcomes of Achalasia Hospitalizations in the United States.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2025Article
- The Role of Intraoperative Functional Lumen Imaging in Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy and Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy.Annals of thoracic surgery short reports · 2025Article
- The Effects of Chronic Opioid Therapy on Achalasia and the Upper Esophageal Sphincter.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Epidemiology and practice patterns of achalasia in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based cohort study.Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2025Article
- Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Benign Esophageal Disorders.The American journal of gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Beyond visualizing the bird beak: esophagram, timed barium esophagram and manometry in achalasia and its 3 subtypes.Abdominal radiology (New York) · 2025Review
- Prevalence and Costs of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in the United States.Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2025Article
- Comparison of peroral endoscopic myotomy, laparoscopic Heller myotomy, and pneumatic dilation for patients with achalasia: a United States national experience.Clinical endoscopy · 2025Article
- State-of-the-Art Surgery in Achalasia.Visceral medicine · 2024Review
- Two onset types of achalasia and the long-term course to diagnosis.Esophagus : official journal of the Japan Esophageal Society · 2024Article
- Prevalence and Costs of Esophageal Strictures in the United States.Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND &
aimsAchalasia is a debilitating chronic condition of the esophagus. Currently there are no national estimates on the epidemiologic and economic burden of disease. We sought to estimate trends in incidence and prevalence of achalasia by age-sex strata, and to estimate the total direct medical costs attributed to achalasia in the United States.
methodsWe conducted a cohort study using two administrative claims databases: IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database (2001-2018; age <65) and a 20% sample of nationwide Medicare enrollment and claims (2007-2015; age ≥65). Point prevalence was calculated on the first day of each calendar year; the incidence rate captured new cases developed in the ensuing year. Utilization rates of healthcare services and procedures were reported. Mean costs per patient were calculated and standardized to the corresponding U.S. Census Bureau population data to derive achalasia-specific total direct medical costs.
resultsThe crude prevalence of achalasia per 100,000 persons was 18.0 (95% CI, 17.4, 18.7) in MarketScan and 162.1 (95% CI, 157.6, 166.6) in Medicare. The crude incidence rate per 100,000 person-years was 10.5 (95% CI, 9.9, 11.1) in MarketScan and 26.0 (95% CI, 24.9, 27.2) in Medicare. Incidence and prevalence increased substantially over time in the Medicare cohort, and increased with more advanced age in both cohorts. Utilization of achalasia-specific healthcare was high; national estimates of total direct medical costs exceeded $408 million in 2018.
conclusionsAchalasia has a higher epidemiologic and economic burden in the US than previously suggested, with diagnosis particularly increasing in older patients.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.