Achalasia in the elderly patient: a comparative study.

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Achalasia in the elderly patient: a comparative study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21537537

I found the abstract for the above study interesting. It has been

noticed before that the incidence rate of achalasia is not constant with

age. It is vary rare with children and becomes more common in adulthood,

but this study points out that there are two distinct peaks in the

incidence rate in adulthood, one in the 30s and 40s and the other after

60. Other studies have shown that healthy older people have changes in

their esophageal motility that is in the direction of achalasia, less

ganglion cells, less peristalsis, and less LES relaxation. This study

did a comparison of people with achalasia in those two adult age groups.

The elderly achalasia patients had lower LES pressure and less heartburn

and pain (spasms and other NCCPs).

It makes me wonder if there isn't three different types of primary

achalasia, with possibly three different causes, or more. Achalasia is

often described as a progressive disorder. I would like to see more on

how the three different groups, children, 30-40s and the elderly

progress and if there are meaningful differences long-term.

notan