Fasting and nutrient-stimulated plasma peptide-YY levels are elevated in critical illness and associated with feed intolerance: an observational, controlled study

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Peptide YY.

The aim of this study was to determine fasting and nutrient-stimulated plasma PYY concentrations and their relationship to cholecystokinin (CCK) in critically ill patients.

Why It Was Studied

Delayed gastric emptying and feed intolerance occur frequently in the critically ill.

In these patients, gastric motor responses to nutrients are disturbed.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 24 subjects taking part.

PubMed indexes the participants as adults and middle-aged adults, men only.

Studies were performed in 19 unselected mechanically ventilated critically ill patients (12 males; 48 +/- 7 years old) in a randomised, single-blind fashion.

Subjects received a 60-minute duodenal infusion of Ensure at either 1 or 2 kcal/minute.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and single-blind study.

The subjects were allocated by chance, so the Peptide YY group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Only one side, usually the subjects, was kept unaware of whether Peptide YY was given.

Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 20, 40, 60, and 180 minutes following commencement of the nutrient infusion for the measurement of plasma PYY and CCK concentrations (using radioimmunoassay).

Patient data were compared to 24 healthy subjects (17 males; 43 +/- 2 years old).

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Cholecystokinin, Dietary Sucrose, Fasting, Food, Formulated, Gastric Emptying, Parenteral Nutrition and Peptide YY.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and single-blind study of Peptide YY in 24 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Its findings take up roughly 6 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2006 (Critical care (London, England)), a journal based in England.

More context: the Peptide YY compound page, all human trials.