RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. TO assess and compare gastrointestinal (GI) rates
in young and aged men under homogeneous conditions of weight and dietetic
habits.
METHODS. Gastric emptying time was evaluated by ultrasound. GI transit time
was studied radiologically using radiopaque markers,
RESULTS. Final gastric emptying time in elderly subjects was 335 +/- 31 min
utes (mean +/- SD) versus 245 +/- 25 minutes in young subjects (P < 0.001),
Total GI transit time showed no significant difference between the two gro
ups, Intestinal transit time includes both small bowel and colonic transit;
small bowel and colonic transit was not separated in this study.
CONCLUSIONS. Delayed gastric emptying of solid foods could result from prog
ressive autonomic nerve dysfunction occurring with aging. The stomach does
not seem to be the segment of the digestive tract that is primarily respons
ible for the alteration of total GI time.