COMPARISON OF TOTAL AND COMPARTMENTAL GASTRIC-EMPTYING AND ANTRAL MOTILITY BETWEEN HEALTHY-MEN AND WOMEN

There is increasing evidence of gender-related differences in gastric emptying. The purpose of this study was first, to confirm the differen ce in gastric emptying for both solid and liquid test meals between he althy men and women, and secondly, to investigate the origin of this d ifference by studying regional gastric emptying and antral motility. A standard gastric emptying test with additional compartmental (proxima l and distal) evaluation and dynamic imaging of the antrum was perform ed in 20 healthy women studied during the first 10 days of the menstru al cycle, and in 31 healthy age-matched men. In concordance with previ ous reports, women had a longer half-emptying time for solids as compa red to men (86.2+/-5.1 vs 52.2+/-2.9 min, P<0.05). In our observations this seemed to be related to a significantly prolonged lag phase and a significant decrease in terminal slope. Dynamical antral scintigraph y did not show a significant difference. The distribution of the test meal within the stomach (proximal vs distal) showed more early proxima l retention in women as compared to men. The terminal slope of the dis tal somach was significantly lower in women. We did not observe a sign ificant difference in gastric emptying of the liquid test meal between men and women. Gastric emptying of solids is significantly slower in healthy women as compared to men. These findings emphasise the importa nce of using different normal values for clinical and research purpose s in gastric emptying scintigraphy in men and women. The difference co uld not be explained by antral motility alone. Increased proximal rete ntion and a lower terminal emptying rate in women are observations to be further investigated.