Peter Haas ¹ at all reviewed the records of 835 of a new hospitalized patients for two years and found that 56% of the entire grouphad hemorrhoids, 88% among the symptomatic  group
and 82$ among the asymptomatic group. Hemorrhoids are frequent ,and many papers discussed
the prevalence of hemorrhoids.Hyams ² and Philot found the prevalence rate of as 24%.
The prevalence rate increased with age but tapered off over 70.

Gazet ³  et all found the hemorrhoids in as 34-37 % of healthy persons.
Wienert ⁴   found 952 internal hemorrhoids and 456 external tags in 1000 symptomatic patients.
Goltner ⁵  at all found an 80% prevalence rate of hemorrhoids after proctoscopy in gynecological
and obstetric patients.Brondel and Gondran ⁶   found 770 hemorrhoids in 1219 persons by
interviewing the patients and most of them were also examined. Denis ⁷  found hemorrhoids
in 70% of 550 patients who were examined with an endoscope.Lurz and Goltner ⁸  found an
overall prevalence of 46% by proctoscopic examination on woman 6-8 days postpartum

The prevalence increased with age , and over 30 it was 68 per cent.
Marigo ⁹  et al examined 832 necropsy specimens grossly and with a mgnifying lens.
They found prevalence rate of as 8 per cents
which inceased with age to as 17 per cent by age 60.

Heims ¹⁰   found a 70 per cent rate of hemorrhoids over the age of 30. A group of physicians who
were working in rural Africa found that hemorrhoids were very rare and explained this by high fiber
diet typical for this population (11).

In western population the prevalence of hemorrhoids in the entire population is already high by
the age of 30. Many hypothesis were tried to explain the cause and pathogenesis of hemorrhoids
without significant influence on the way of treatment. The cause of hemorhoids is now
discovered and described on this site.

References:

1Haas peter et all The Prevalence of Hemorrhoids American Society of colon and rectal surgeons. December 13, 1982

2Hyams L An epidemiological investigation of hemorrhoids Am J Proctol 1970, 21, 21: 177-193

3Gazet et all The prevalence of hemorrhoids Proc R Soc Med 1970:63:78-80

4Wienert V Haufigkeitsverteilung anorektaler beschwerden und befunde Z Hautkr 1973 ,18: 147-151

5Goltner et all Importanza della patologia emorroidaria in ginecologia ed ostetrica. Minerva ginecol 1980, 32:3-14

6Brondel and Gondran  Facteurs predisposants lifes lheredite et a la profession dans la maladie hemorrhoidaire Arch Fr Mal App Dig 1976, 65:541-550