Effects of Gender, Posture, and Age on Gastric Residence Time of an Indigestible Solid: Pharmaceutical Considerations

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Abstract
We have recently reported the effect of varying food composition on the gastric residence time (GRT) of an indigestible solid, the Heidelberg capsule (HC). The purpose of the present evaluation was to evaluate the reproducibility and the effect of gender, posture, and age on the GRT of the HC. The reproducibility in measurement of the GRT of the Heidelberg capsule was evaluated in two trials separated by 1 week. Mean GRT values obtained in nine healthy men on day 1 were not statistically different from those on day 8 (3.5 ± 0.6 vs 3.5 ± 0.7 hr, P > 0.05). To evaluate the influence of gender on the GRT of the HC, 12 healthy male volunteers and 12 age (±3 years)- and race-matched female counterparts entered into a randomized study. Each subject was served a standardized 500-kcal breakfast 30 min prior to oral ingestion of the HC. The mean (± SD) ambulatory GRT in the males was significantly faster than in the females (3.4 ± 0.6 vs 4.6 ± 1.2 hr, P < 0.01). Influence of posture on the GRT of HC was examined in the same 12 men in a two-way, randomized, crossover study. The mean GRT for volunteers in the supine state was not statistically different from that in the upright, ambulatory state (3.4 ± 0.8 vs 3.5 ± 0.7 hr, P > 0.05). The effect of age on the GRT of the HC was evaluated in 12 healthy elderly males (>65 years) with no prior gastrointestinal complications. The mean value of the GRT 30 min after a 500-kcal breakfast was significantly prolonged compared to that of the young male volunteers (4.5 ± 1.1 vs 3.4 ± 0.6 hr, P < 0.02). A larger GRT is consistent with the results of gastric emptying of a digestible solid in the elderly, reported by other investigators. In summary, the data indicate that even when the hormonal changes due to the menstrual cycle are normalized, women emptied their stomach slower than men, regardless of weight, height, or body surface area. In addition, the GRT of an indigestible capsule was prolonged in the elderly, especially in subjects >70 years old.