Evaluation of stress reactions during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in elderly patients: assessment of mental stress using chromogranin A.
OBJECTIVE
Salivary chromogranin A (CgA) was recently reported to be a useful marker of mental stress. In this study, mental stress during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was evaluated by measuring salivary CgA levels in young and elderly subjects.


METHODS
The subjects were 9 healthy subjects aged less than 50 years (young group) and 15 subjects aged 70 years or older (elderly group). The heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation level, and salivary CgA concentration were measured before and after upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and compared.


RESULTS
In the young group, the CgA level decreased significantly (p<0.05) during endoscopy compared with the level during rest before endoscopy. In the elderly group, it also decreased significantly (p<0.05) during endoscopy compared with the level during rest before endoscopy. However, CgA levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the elderly group than in the young group both before and during endoscopy. The decrease in CgA levels was significantly greater (p<0.05) in the young group than in the elderly group.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, mental stress associated with endoscopy appears to be higher in elderly subjects than in younger subjects. Attention to complications due to increased stress is considered to be necessary in elderly patients during endoscopy.
Fujimoto
Sayuri
S
Department of Digestive and Cardiovascular Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Nomura
Masahiro
M
Niki
Miyako
M
Motoba
Hideki
H
Ieishi
Kiyoshi
K
Mori
Toshifumi
T
Ikefuji
Hiroyuki
H
Ito
Susumu
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000032:analysis*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
D053379:Chromogranin A; D010100:Oxygen