From correspondents in Delhi, India, 09:32 PM IST

About 10 to 20 percent of the Indian population suffers from functional bowel diseases, including irritable bowel disease and dyspepsia or pain centred in the upper abdomen.

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi Wednesday said a survey conducted by the Indian Society of Gastroenterology across the country among 4,500 people showed that 10-20 percent of the general population suffered from functional bowel diseases, including irritable bowel disease and dyspepsia.

Informing the Lok Sabha, she said according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a key research centre in the country, the Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a clinical condition arising from multi-factorial causes.

Various studies have suggested that GERD is a common problem worldwide.

She said certain foods and lifestyle are considered as causes of GERD. 'Physicians recommend lifestyle modifications when not recommending drug,' Lakshmi said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)