title: Impaired postprandial response of active ghrelin and prolonged suppression of hunger sensation in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin is of major interest in the altered appetite regulation of the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basal and postprandial levels of active and total ghrelin were measured in 15 younger (mean age 35.4 years) and 19 older (80.7 years) participants following a carbohydrate-rich test meal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that older participants felt postprandially less hungry and more full. Although basal levels were not significantly different, active and total ghrelin levels declined postprandially only in the younger study participants. Highly significant differences between the two age groups were shown for the changes of the area under the curve for active ghrelin (p = .024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates for the first time that differences in hunger and satiety sensations in relation to age are paralleled by a substantially different response of acylated and total ghrelin, that is, the absence of a postprandial decline in ghrelin levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Prof. Ernst-Nathan-Strasse 1, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany. juergen.bauer@klinikum-nuernberg.de
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haack
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winning
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schusdziarra
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sieber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D001069:Appetite Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin