Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Digestive Health | Your Aging Digestive System

If you have a digestive disorder, you’re certainly not alone. More than 56 million Americans report symptoms of GERD, 20.5 million suffer from gallstones, 14.5 million from peptic ulcer, and 3.1 million from constipation.

You can develop a digestive disorder at any age, but the chances are much greater as you get older. Nearly 40% of all older adults have one or more digestive disorder symptoms each year, largely due to the changes that occur in the digestive tract with age.

• Digestive disorders of the mouth and esophagus. Swallowing can become difficult as a result of dry mouth or tooth decay. A stroke, dementia, or neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson's disease) also can lead to swallowing difficulties. The esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter become weaker as we age, although these changes do not seem to contribute to the greater likelihood of heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in older adults.

• Digestive disorders of the stomach. With age, the stomach takes longer to empty into the small intestine, making older adults more vulnerable to ulcers and bleeding from medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The longer these drugs are in the stomach, the more likely they are to cause these problems. The stomach also becomes less elastic and can hold less food, meaning that older adults feel full more quickly.

• Digestive disorders of the small intestine. The small intestine does not seem to change dramatically with age, although it does become less able to absorb certain vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, and calcium). Bacterial overgrowth can occur as well, which can cause diarrhea and unintentional weight loss in older adults.

• Digestive disorders of the large intestine. In the large intestine, a loss of muscle strength can result in diverticulosis (small pouches that bulge outward through weak points in the intestinal wall). Undigested food components take longer to move through the large intestine, leading to constipation. Polyps and colon cancer are more common in older adults, although it’s unclear what effect age has on the development of these benign and cancerous growths.

• Other digestive disorders. The liver becomes less able to metabolize medications, so it is more susceptible to damage. The gallbladder produces less bile, which may lead to gallstones. The pancreas, however, does not seem to change much with age.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Digestive Health | Your Aging Digestive System