Effects of age and gender on fat-induced gallbladder contraction and gastric emptying of a caloric liquid meal: a sonographic study.
In this study, the gastric emptying of a liquid fatty meal and the consecutive gallbladder contraction were simultaneously measured by ultrasound in four different age- and sex-related groups of normal subjects: group A, 15 women less than 50 yr (premenopausal); group B, 15 women greater than 50 yr (postmenopausal); group C, 15 men less than 50 yr; and group D, 15 men greater than 50 yr. Apart from a significantly delayed gastric emptying in the premenopausal women, no significant differences in the postprandial relative gallbladder emptying rates were observed between the four study groups. Ninety-five percent of all study subjects had a gallbladder volume reduction of more than 50% after a liquid fatty meal. It is therefore concluded, that 1) endogenous or contraceptive female sex hormones may have a delaying effect on gastric emptying of caloric liquids in the premenopausal state, 2) aging or gender do not significantly influence the fat-induced gallbladder contraction in man, and 3) a 50% residual volume of the gallbladder after a fatty meal should be considered as the upper limit of normal gallbladder contractility (95 percentile of a normal collective).
Wedmann
B
B
Department of Medicine, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Federal Republic of Germany.
Schmidt
G
G
Wegener
M
M
Coenen
C
C
Ricken
D
D
Althoff
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016473:Gallbladder Emptying / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
D004041:Dietary Fats; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones