950 Assessment of Colonic, Whole Gut and Regional Transit in Elderly Constipated and Healthy Subjects with a Novel Wireless pH/Pressure Capsule (SmartPill®)

Abstract

Introduction:Upper gastrointestinal function may change over time in healthy or impaired motility patient groups. Identifying any physiological changes of the GI tract as it ages would be important in order to classify true GI malfunction in older populations. The SmartPill capsule (SP) can do this by measuring the gastric emptying time (GET) and record the GI intraluminal pressures non-invasively. Aim:To determine if gastric function changes over time in healthy subjects and patients with gastroparesis (GP). Methods:Healthy (GET>5h) and GP (GET 3units above gastric pH. Healthy and GP subjects were each divided into age groups: age>65 and age 65y.o. was significantly slower than subjects 0.3) or after GET (p>0.4). In the comparison of subgroups, there was no significant difference in GET between quartiles (p>0.1) except Q1 had a significantly faster GET than Q4. In the 42 GP subjects, there was no significant difference in GET between subjects >65y.o. and 0.06) or after GET (p>0.1). Conclusion:The GET of subjects over the age of 65 is slower than subjects between the ages of 19-34 in the healthy population. There appears to be no difference in GET among the other age groups, as well as no difference in GI contractility. The increase of delayed GET with age should be taken into consideration in drug development that may use younger populations to assess drug efficacy. The normal range of delayed gastric emptying in patients over the age of 65 may have to be extended as it may increase with age.