J Neurogastroenterol Motil  

Effects of Age on Esophageal Motility: Use of High-resolution Esophageal Impedance Manometry

Young Kwang Shim,¹ Nayoung Kim,^1,2* Yo Han Park,¹ Jong-Chan Lee,¹ Jihee Sung,¹ Yoon Jin Choi,¹ Hyuk Yoon,¹ Cheol Min Shin,¹ Young Soo Park,¹ and Dong Ho Lee^1,2

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; and ²Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: Nayoung Kim, MD
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82, Gumi-ro 173 beon-gil, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do 13620, Korea
Tel: +82-31-787-7008, Fax: +82-31-787-4051, E-mail: nayoungkim49@empas.com

Received: June 26, 2016; Revised: December 19, 2016; Accepted: January 15, 2017; Published online: February 5, 2017.

© The Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. All rights reserved.

 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Other SectionsAbstractAbstract

Background/Aims
Disturbances of esophageal motility have been reported to be more frequent in aged population. However, the physiology of disturbances in esophageal motility during aging is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of age on the esophageal motility using high-resolution esophageal impedance manometry (HRIM). 
Methods
Esophageal motor function of 268 subjects were measured using HRIM in 3 age groups, < 40 years (n = 32), 40-65 years (n = 185), and > 65 years (n = 62). Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressure, integrated relaxation pressure, distal contractile integral, contractile front velocity, distal latency, pressure, and duration of contraction on 4 positions along the esophagus, and complete bolus transit were measured. 
Results
Basal UES pressure was lower in the group aged over 65 years (P < 0.001) but there was no significant difference in the LES pressure. Contractile duration on position 3 (10 cm from proximal LES high pressure zone) was longer in aged group (P = 0.001), and the contractile amplitude on position 4 (5 cm from proximal LES high pressure zone) was lower in aged group (P = 0.005). Distal contractile integral was lower in aged group (P = 0.037). Contractile front velocity (P = 0.015) and the onset velocity (P = 0.040) was lower in aged group. There was no significant difference in impedance values. 
Conclusion
The decrease of UES pressure, distal esophageal motility, and peristaltic velocity might be related with esophageal symptoms in the aged population.

Keywords: Aging; Esophageal motility; Manometry

These findings may explain why the elderly are prone to

develop aspirations, choking, cafe coronary, etc.

Perhaps eating slower, chewing good and

not talking too much while eating might help prevent

the complications.