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Accelerated gastric emptying in hypertensive subjects
W T Phillips1, U A Salman, C A McMahan
1Department of Radiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284-7800, USA.
Summary
Hypertension accelerates gastric emptying, a finding previously seen in noninsulin-dependent diabetes and obesity. This suggests rapid gastric emptying may be common in insulin resistance states.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Gastroenterology
- Cardiovascular Disease
Background:
- Accelerated gastric emptying is linked to insulin resistance conditions like noninsulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) and increased body mass index (BMI).
- Essential hypertension is also considered part of the insulin-resistance syndrome.
- Gastric emptying rates in hypertensive patients have not been previously studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gastric emptying rates in patients with essential hypertension.
- To determine if essential hypertension is associated with accelerated gastric emptying.
- To explore the relationship between gastric emptying and insulin resistance markers.
Main Methods:
- Scintigraphic gastric emptying studies were conducted.
- Nine hypertensive subjects and nine matched controls participated.
- Gastric half-emptying time (gastric T50) was measured.
Main Results:
- Hypertensive subjects exhibited significantly faster gastric emptying (T50: 40.0 ± 6.9 min) compared to controls (56.6 ± 3.7 min) (p=0.02).
- An inverse correlation was observed between early oral glucose tolerance test glucose levels and gastric half-emptying time (rs = -0.64, p=0.0045; rs = -0.48, p=0.0428).
Conclusions:
- Accelerated gastric emptying occurs in essential hypertension.
- This finding, alongside previous reports in NIDDM and increased BMI, suggests rapid gastric emptying is a potential characteristic of insulin resistance states.
- Further research may elucidate the common mechanisms underlying accelerated gastric emptying in these conditions.