Smoking delays gastric emptying of solids

Abstract

Oesophageal transit and gastric emptying of liquids and solids was measured in eight normal subjects with a single test meal containing In113 labelled water and an omelette labelled with Tc99m sulphur colloid. Each volunteer was studied, basally, whilst continuously smoking, and while chewing nicotine gum. Neither liquid, nor solid oesophageal transit were affected by smoking, or gum. Liquid gastric emptying occurred exponentially and clearance was not affected by smoking nor gum (mean basal t1/2 17·4 (2·7) (SEM) min, smoking t1/2 16·6 (7·4) min, gum t1/2 12·5 (2·9) min). Gastric emptying of solid had three components. An initial mean lag phase increased from 17·5 (2·7) min, to 27·5 (6·1) min (p<0·05) during smoking, but was not prolonged by nicotine gum (17·5 (1·1) min). A subsequent linear emptying phase was also slowed by smoking from a mean of 1·01 (0·15)% min to 0·80 (0·15)% min (p<0·05), but was not affected by nicotine gum, 1·06 (0·2)% min. A third complex phase of solid gastric emptying was not analysed. Smoking delays gastric emptying of solids, but not liquids; nicotine is not responsible for this effect. This observation may partly explain the adverse effect of smoking in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux.