Anorectal kinetics in elderly patients with functional constipation and influencing factors

ZHANG Ping

Abstract：Objective To investigate the anorectal kinetics and functional factors in elderly patients with functional constipation (FC).Methods Fifty elderly patients with FC admitted to the department of gastroenterology between February 2012 and March 2016 were selected as the constipation group while another 50 cases as the healthy group according to physical examination results at our hospital. Questionnaires based on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were used for the assessment of sleep quality and anorectal manometry in the two groups. Results The anal resting pressure, anal maximum systolic pressure, relaxation pressure, anal canal length, rectal perception threshold, critical bowel threshold, pain threshold and rectum and anus inhibition volume in the constipation group significantly surpassed those of the healthy group (P<0.05). The PSQI score of the constipation group was significantly higher than that of the healthy group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the PSQI score, spicy foods, mental status, sedentariness, defecation kinetics abnormalities, drug use and hemorrhoids were risk factors for FC in the elderly (P<0.05).Conclusion Elderly patients with FC have abnormal anorectal dynamics and poor sleep quality. PSQI scores, spicy foods, mental state, a sedentary lifestyle, abnormal defecation dynamics, drug use and hemorrhoids are risk factors for elderly patients with FC.