Effects of age and gender on fat-induced gallbladder contraction and gastric emptying of a caloric liquid meal: a sonographic study

• Published in: The American journal of gastroenterology Vol. 86; no. 12; p. 1765
• Main Authors: Wedmann, B, Schmidt, G, Wegener, M, Coenen, C, Ricken, D, Althoff, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.12.1991
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aging - physiology; Analysis of Variance; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Female; Gallbladder - diagnostic imaging; Gallbladder Emptying - drug effects; Gallbladder Emptying - physiology; Gastric Emptying - drug effects; Gastric Emptying - physiology; Gonadal Steroid Hormones - physiology; Humans; Male; Menopause; Middle Aged; Reference Values; Sex Characteristics; Stomach - diagnostic imaging; Time Factors; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 0002-9270; 1572-0241
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.1991.tb06950.x

In this study, the gastric emptying of a liquid fatty meal and the consecutive gallbladder contraction were simultaneously measured by ultrasound in four different age- and sex-related groups of normal subjects: group A, 15 women less than 50 yr (premenopausal); group B, 15 women greater than 50 yr (postmenopausal); group C, 15 men less than 50 yr; and group D, 15 men greater than 50 yr. Apart from a significantly delayed gastric emptying in the premenopausal women, no significant differences in the postprandial relative gallbladder emptying rates were observed between the four study groups. Ninety-five percent of all study subjects had a gallbladder volume reduction of more than 50% after a liquid fatty meal. It is therefore concluded, that 1) endogenous or contraceptive female sex hormones may have a delaying effect on gastric emptying of caloric liquids in the premenopausal state, 2) aging or gender do not significantly influence the fat-induced gallbladder contraction in man, and 3) a 50% residual volume of the gallbladder after a fatty meal should be considered as the upper limit of normal gallbladder contractility (95 percentile of a normal collective).