ABSTRACT
Anorectal pressure studies have shown a decreased maximal squeeze pressure in normal elderly women and men. In aged women the reduced squeeze pressure is accompanied by an increase in the pudendal nerve motor latency and a raise in the single fiber density in the striated anal sphincter, indicating an age-related denervation with a compensatory reinnervation of the striated anal sphincter. In all age groups the squeeze pressure was significantly lower in women than in men and in both men and women the pressure at age 70 was about 30 to 40% less than at age 30. In addition to the age-related changes in the sphincters and the pelvic floors, most, but not all, studies have found an age-related decrease in rectal capacity and an increase in threshold for perception of rectal filling, which was most prominent in women.
