Colonoscopy in elderly Asians: a prospective evaluation in routine clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Colonoscopy complexity in elderly patients is a concern in Western countries.
• Data on colonoscopy performance and sedation safety in elderly Asian populations are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare colonoscopy performance between elderly (>=65 years) and younger (<65 years) Asian patients.
• To identify differences in sedation-related complications in these age groups.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, cross-sectional study of adult outpatients undergoing colonoscopy.
• Collection of clinical and endoscopic data from consenting participants.
• Comparison of bowel preparation, cecal intubation rates, and procedure duration between age groups.

Main Results:

• Elderly patients showed similar bowel preparation quality and cecal intubation rates compared to younger patients.
• Despite lower sedation doses, elderly patients experienced significantly higher rates of hypotension (7.1% vs 0.8%).
• Elderly patients had a higher prevalence of comorbidities, including diabetes, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.

Conclusions:

• Colonoscopy procedure itself is comparable between elderly and younger Asian adults.
• Conscious sedation in elderly Asian patients is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications, notably hypotension.