Читать книгу Pathy's Principles and Practice of Geriatric Medicine - Группа авторов - Страница 449

While only a modest slowing in gastric emptying is observed with healthy ageing, as recently demonstrated in a longitudinal study,⁴⁶ both the perception of gastric distension and humoral responses to duodenal nutrient exposure differ markedly from the young and could contribute to the anorexia of ageing, which is discussed in detail in Chapter 13. Moreover, postprandial hypotension, a common cause of falls and syncope in the elderly, can be regarded as a gastrointestinal disorder related to both the rate of gastric emptying and the small intestinal response to ingested nutrient. Slow gastric emptying, as well as alterations in gastric pH (for example, higher pH postprandially than in the young), could also influence the absorption of orally administered medications,⁴⁷ and a slight reduction in the rate of paracetamol absorption has been reported in the healthy elderly when compared to the young. However, absorption of benzodiazepines, tetracycline, or L‐dopa is not significantly altered with age per se. Several systemic disorders that frequently occur in the elderly are associated with markedly delayed gastric emptying or gastroparesis (Table 17.2) – acute gastroparesis may also result from the administration of a number of drugs (Table 17.3).