title: Gastric emptying, postprandial blood pressure, glycaemia and splanchnic flow in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine gastric emptying, blood pressure, mesenteric artery blood flow, and blood glucose responses to oral glucose in Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one subjects (13 M, 8 F; age 64.2 ± 1.6 years) with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr score 1.4 ± 0.1, duration of known disease 6.3 ± 0.9 years) consumed a 75 g glucose drink, labelled with 20 MBq (99m)Tc-calcium phytate. Gastric emptying was quantified with scintigraphy, blood pressure and heart rate with an automated device, superior mesenteric artery blood flow by Doppler ultrasonography and blood glucose by glucometer for 180 min. Autonomic nerve function was evaluated with cardiovascular reflex tests and upper gastrointestinal symptoms by questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean gastric half-emptying time was 106 ± 9.1 min, gastric emptying was abnormally delayed in 3 subjects (14%). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell (P < 0.001) and mesenteric blood flow and blood glucose (P < 0.001 for both) increased, following the drink. Three subjects (14%) had definite autonomic neuropathy and 8 (38%) had postprandial hypotension. There were no significant relationships between changes in blood pressure, heart rate or mesenteric artery blood flow with gastric emptying. Gastric emptying was related to the score for autonomic nerve function (R = 0.55, P < 0.01). There was an inverse relationship between the blood glucose at t = 30 min (R = -0.52, P < 0.05), while the blood glucose at t = 180 min was related directly (R = 0.49, P < 0.05), with gastric emptying.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In mild to moderate Parkinson's disease, gastric emptying is related to autonomic dysfunction and a determinant of the glycaemic response to oral glucose.
authors.affiliation: Laurence G Trahair, Thomas E Kimber, Katerina Flabouris, Michael Horowitz, Karen L Jones, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Laurence G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Trahair
authors.affiliation: Laurence G Trahair, Thomas E Kimber, Katerina Flabouris, Michael Horowitz, Karen L Jones, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Kimber
authors.affiliation: Laurence G Trahair, Thomas E Kimber, Katerina Flabouris, Michael Horowitz, Karen L Jones, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flabouris
authors.affiliation: Laurence G Trahair, Thomas E Kimber, Katerina Flabouris, Michael Horowitz, Karen L Jones, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horowitz
authors.affiliation: Laurence G Trahair, Thomas E Kimber, Katerina Flabouris, Michael Horowitz, Karen L Jones, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007022:Hypotension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019518:Postprandial Period; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: Blood pressure; Gastric emptying; Glucose; Hypotension; Parkinson’s disease