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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Gastroenterology. 2010 Oct 20;140(1):101–115. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2010.10.015

Table 3.

Characteristics of patients with idiopathic gastroparesis with mild, moderate or severe symptoms based on the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index

Severity of symptoms by GCSI*
Mild
GCSI: 0 – 2.99
(N = 114)		 Moderate
GCSI: 3.0 – 3.99
(N = 86)		 Severe
GCSI:4.0 – 5.0
(N = 41)		 P

value‡
Characteristic No. Statistic† No. Statistic† No. Statistic†
Demographic and lifestyle:
    Age at enrollment (yrs) 114 41.6 ± 16.0 86 41.3 ± 12.2 41 39.2 ± 12.1 0.68
    Gender: Females 95 83.3% 78 90.7% 40 97.6% 0.01
    Married: (yes vs no) 63 55.3% 54 62.8% 25 61.0% 0.38
    College degree or higher (yes vs no) 43 37.7% 25 29.1% 12 29.3% 0.21
    Income $50,000+ (yes vs no) 72 63.2% 40 46.5% 26 63.4% 0.46
    Ever smoked regularly (yes vs no)§ 33 29.0% 37 43.0% 10 24.4% 0.82
    Ever drink (past year) 53 46.5% 28 32.6% 14 34.2% 0.07
Anthropometry:
    Waist circumference (cm) 114 85.3 ± 18.3 86 85.1 ± 18.0 41 84.3 ± 16.0 0.98
    Waist to hip ratio 114 0.85 ± 0.09 86 0.86 ± 0.13 41 0.84 ± 0.08 0.89
    Overweight: (yes vs no)§ 54 47.4% 39 45.4% 17 41.5% 0.52
    BMI (kg/m2) 114 25.7 ± 7.6 86 25.2 ± 6.1 41 25.8 ± 6.8 0.96
Inflammatory markers:
    C-reactive protein (CRP) (mg/dL) 114 0.7 ± 1.5 86 0.5 ± 0.6 41 1.0 ± 1.2 0.02
    CRP elevated (> 0.8 mg/dL) 21 18.4% 14 16.3% 16 39.0% 0.03
    ESR rate (mm/hr)§ 114 13.4 ± 16.5 86 15.4 ± 13.4 41 14.8 ± 13.5 0.06
    ESR elevated (> 20 mm/hr)§ 20 17.5% 20 23.3% 10 24.4% 0.27
Psychological function inventories:
    State Anxiety inventory average score 114 42.8 ± 12.6 86 48.3 ± 14.2 41 45.8 ± 13.3 0.03
    State Anxiety inventory score ≥ 50 36 31.6% 37 43.0% 15 36.6% 0.31
    Trait Anxiety inventory average score 114 42.5 ± 12.0 86 46.2 ± 12.2 41 43.5 ± 11.7 0.12
    Trait Anxiety inventory score ≥ 50 25 30.7% 35 40.7% 14 34.2% 0.42
    Beck Depression Inventory avg score 114 15.5 ± 9.6 86 21.7 ± 11.0 41 21.0 ± 11.2 < 0.001
    Beck Depression inventory > 28 13 11.4% 22 25.6% 9 22.0% 0.04
Medical history:
  Co-morbidities:
    Averag number of co-morbidities 114 3.29 ± 2.64 86 3.76 ± 2.45 41 4.32 ± 3.24 0.06
    Migraine Headache (yes vs no) 36 31.6% 37 43.0% 24 58.5% 0.002
    Chronic fatigue syndrome (yes vs no) 8 7.0% 10 11.6% 4 9.8% 0.42
    Fibromyalgia (yes vs no) 16 14.0% 10 11.6% 5 12.2% 0.68
    Major depression (yes vs no) 17 14.9% 25 29.1% 11 26.8% 0.04
    Severe anxiety (yes vs no) 14 12.3% 10 11.6% 6 14.6% 0.78
  Co-medications:
    Gastric acid suppressants (yes vs no) 86 75.4% 64 74.4% 34 82.9% 0.45
    Prokinetics (yes vs no) 45 48.3% 45 52.3% 18 43.9% 0.83
    Anti-emetics (yes vs no) 79 69.3% 58 67.4% 35 85.4% 0.12
    Estrogen, progesterone,OCP’s (yes) 30 26.3% 19 22.1% 9 22.0% 0.40
    Narcotic pain medications (yes vs no) 43 37.7% 36 41.9% 23 56.1% 0.06
  Total enteral/parenteral support (yes/no) 9 7.9% 9 10.5% 9 22.0% 0.02
  Post-menopausal (yes vs no) 29 30.5% 26 33.3% 12 30.0% 0.95
  Age at symptom onset (years) 114 36.9 ± 16.1 86 36.1 ± 12.9 41 34.6 ± 13.6 0.85
  Duration of symptoms at enrollment(yrs) 114 4.7 ± 6.7 86 5.1 ± 7.1 41 4.6 ± 4.5 0.70
  Initial infectious prodrome: (yes vs no) 19 16.8% 18 20.9% 8 19.5% 0.58
  Predominant symptom:
    Nausea vs all others 34 29.8% 28 32.6% 20 48.8% 0.05
    Vomiting vs all others 23 20.2% 18 20.9% 6 14.6% 0.55
    Abdominal pain vs all others 25 21.9% 22 25.6% 8 19.5% 0.94
  Type of gastroparesis symptom onset: 0.65
    Acute start 57 50.0% 41 47.7% 23 56.1%
    Insidious start 57 50.0% 45 52.3% 18 43.9%
  Nature of gastroparesis symptoms: 0.005
    Chronic, but stable 32 28.1% 20 23.3% 2 5.0%
    Chronic, but progressively worse 26 22.8% 33 38.4% 22 55.0%
    Chronic with periodic exacerbations 42 36.8% 26 30.2% 12 30.0%
    Cyclic pattern 14 12.3% 7 8.1% 4 10.0%
  Gastroparesis severity: 0.004
    Mild (grade 1) 26 22.8% 6 7.0% 2 4.9%
    Compensated (grade 2) 62 54.4% 50 58.1% 24 58.5%
    Gastric failure (grade 3) 25 21.9% 30 34.9% 15 36.6%
  Gastric failure vs less severe 25 21.9% 30 34.9% 15 36.6% 0.03
Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS§ 0.34
  Yes, pending exam/test 69 60.5% 60 69.8% 27 65.8%
  No 45 39.5% 26 30.2% 14 34.2%
Gastric emptying (scintigraphy):
  Percent gastric retention at 2 hr. 114 63.0 ± 16.8 86 62.0 ± 16.1 41 64.6 ± 16.1 0.80
  Percent gastric retention at 4 hr. 113 26.3 ± 17.6 86 27.2 ± 17.9 41 35.7 ± 22.6 0.06
  Severity of delayed gastric emptying 4 hr: 0.03
    Mild (0 – 20%) 55 48.7% 35 40.7% 16 39.0%
    Moderate (21% – 35%) 32 28.3% 28 32.6% 6 14.6%
    Severe (> 35%) 26 23.0% 23 26.7% 19 46.3%
Severity of symptoms:*
  Nausea severity 114 2.7 ± 1.4 86 3.9 ± 1.0 41 4.7 ± 0.6 n/a
  Retching severity 114 1.1 ± 1.4 86 1.9 ± 1.6 41 3.8 ± 1.4 n/a
  Vomiting severity 114 1.2 ± 1.7 86 1.9 ± 1.8 41 4.0 ± 1.0 n/a
  Stomach fullness severity 114 3.0 ± 1.1 86 4.2 ± 0.8 41 4.7 ± 0.5 n/a
  Inability to finish meal severity 114 3.0 ± 1.5 86 4.1 ± 1.0 41 4.4 ± 0.8 n/a
  Excessively full post meal severity 114 3.0 ± 1.3 86 4.3 ± 0.9 41 4.6 ± 0.6 n/a
  Loss of appetite severity 114 2.4 ± 1.4 86 3.6 ± 1.3 41 3.9 ± 1.2 n/a
  Bloating severity 114 2.2 ± 1.4 86 4.0 ± 1.0 41 4.8 ± 0.4 n/a
  Visibly larger stomach severity 114 1.6 ± 1.5 86 3.7 ± 1.3 41 4.5 ± 0.7 n/a
  Cardinal symptom index (GCSI)* 114 2.1 ± 0.6 86 3.5 ± 0.3 41 4.4 ± 0.3 n/a
  Upper abdominal pain 114 2.4 ± 1.7 86 3.8 ± 1.2 41 3.9 ± 1.4 < 0.001
  Upper abdominal discomfort 114 2.6 ± 1.6 86 3.9 ± 1.1 41 4.2 ± 1.0 < 0.001
  Lower abdominal pain 114 1.5 ± 1.5 86 2.6 ± 1.6 41 3.3 ± 1.5 < 0.001
  Lower abdominal discomfort 114 1.7 ± 1.5 86 2.7 ± 1.7 41 3.2 ± 1.5 < 0.001
  GERD sub-scale 114 1.5 ± 1.2 86 2.2 ± 1.4 41 3.1 ± 1.4 < 0.001
  Constipation severity 114 1.8 ± 1.6 86 2.8 ± 1.8 41 3.5 ± 1.7 < 0.001
  Diarrhea severity 114 1.6 ± 1.5 86 2.0 ± 1.8 41 2.4 ± 1.9 0.05
*

Severity of symptoms based on the Gastroparesis Cardinal Index Score from the PAGI-SYM (Patient Assessment of GI Symptoms) questionnaires, scores range from 0–5): Mild= 0–2.9, Moderate= 3.0–3.99, Severe= 4.0–5.0. Two subjects were excluded due to a missing score on the Stomach Fullness Severity score.

Gastroparesis cardinal symptom index (GCSI) = mean of sub-scores for nausea, postprandial fullness, and bloating

†

Means ± standard deviations or percents (%).

‡

The significance of difference in categorical variables between groups was tested with either the Cochran-Armitage test for trend for ordered categories or Fisher’s exact test, or with the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous measures. All P values are two-sided.

§

Definitions:

Ever smoked regularly defined as smoking ≥ 20 packs of cigarettes in a lifetime or ≥ 1 cigarette per day for a year.

Overweight = BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2

ESR = Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS diagnosis determined from the Rome III Diagnostic Questionnaire analyzed using an analysis program developed by the Rome Foundation (http://www.romecriteria.org/rome_iii_sas/).