Table 1.
Summary of Patient Characteristics *
| Variable | Healthy (n=25) | Constipated (n=25) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 39±10 | 48±15 | .02 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26±4 | 25±4 | .13 |
| Total caloric intake, kcal | 1597±402 | 1265±350 | .005 |
| Carbohydrate, g | 188±54 | 155±62 | .054 |
| Protein, g | 75±19 | 60±26 | .002 |
| Fat, g | 60±26 | 46±15 | .03 |
| Fiber, g | 17±13 | 12±4 | .01 |
| Carbohydrate (% of total calories) | 47±9 | 49±12 | .24 |
| Protein (% of total calories) | 20±6 | 20±7 | .88 |
| Fat (% of total calories) | 33±6 | 32±6 | .85 |
| Breath methane (AUC, ppm* min) | 1488±2895 | 4100±6656 | .20 |
| Breath hydrogen (AUC, ppm* min) | 7154±4716 | 6483±5824 | .44 |
| Gastric emptying, % | |||
| 2 hours | 59±18 | 47±11 | .005 |
| 4 hours | 93±10 | 90±12 | .11 |
| Small intestinal transit (Colonic filling [%] at 6 hours) | 45±27 | 48±26 | .74 |
| Colonic transit, GC24 | 2.6±1.1 | 1.6±0.8 | .0006 |
| Colonic transit, GC48 | 3.9±0.9 | 2.8±1.0 | .001 |
Abbreviations: AUC, area under the curve; BMI, body mass index; GC24, geometric center of colonic transit at 24 hours; GC48, geometric center of colonic transit at 48 hours
*
All data presented as mean (SD)