title: Total and functional hepatic blood flow decrease in parallel with ageing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study changes in hepatic blood flow with age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional hepatic flow (FHF) and total hepatic flow (THF) were determined by non-invasive methods in 40 normal subjects in four age groups (<45, 45-60, 61-75 and >75 years). All subjects had normal routine liver function tests and no history of liver disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  THF was measured by pulsed echo-Doppler, as the sum of portal and hepatic artery blood flow; FHF was measured by the hepatic clearance of D-sorbitol. THF significantly decreased with age, particularly in subjects over 75 (from 1445+/-220 ml/min to 1020+/-148; P<0.001), and a similar reduction was observed in FHF (from 1514+/-250 ml/min to 1015+/-163; P<0.001). THF and FHF were strictly correlated in the whole population (r = 0.871; P<0.001) and both correlated with age (r = -0.510 and r = -0.596; P<0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With ageing there is a reduction of hepatic blood flow without any additional intrahepatic shunting.
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cardioangiologia, Epatologia, University of Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Zoli
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Magalotti
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Bianchi
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Gueli
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Orlandini
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Grimaldi
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Marchesini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology