Predictors of Delayed Gastric Emptying in Diabetes
- Karen L. Jones, PHD,
- Antonietta Russo, MSC,
- Julie E. Stevens, BSC,
- Judith M. Wishart, BSC,
- Melanie K. Berry, B MED RAD and
- Michael Horowitz, PHD
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—To define the predictors of the rate of gastric emptying in patients with diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 101 outpatients with diabetes (79 type 1 and 22 type 2) underwent measurements of gastric emptying of a solid/liquid meal (scintigraphy), upper gastrointestinal symptoms (questionnaire), glycemic control (blood glucose concentrations during gastric emptying measurement), and autonomic nerve function (cardiovascular reflexes).
RESULTS—The gastric emptying of solid and/or liquid was delayed in 66 (65%) patients. Solid (retention at 100 min 64 ± 3.2 vs. 50.2 ± 3.6%, P < 0.005) and liquid (retention at 100 min 22.7 ± 1.7 vs. 16.0 ± 1.8%, P < 0.001) gastric emptying was slower in women than in men. Of all upper gastrointestinal symptoms (including nausea and vomiting), only abdominal bloating/fullness was associated with slower gastric emptying (P < 0.005). A multiple regression analysis demonstrated that both abdominal bloating/fullness and female sex were predictors of slower gastric emptying of both solids and liquids.
CONCLUSIONS—We conclude that the presence of abdominal bloating/fullness but not any other upper gastrointestinal symptom is associated with diabetic gastroparesis and that gastric emptying is slower in diabetic women than in diabetic men.
Footnotes
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Karen Jones, Department Medicine, University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia. E-mail: karen.jones{at}adelaide.edu.au.
Received for publication 24 October 2000 and accepted in revised form 16 March 2001.
M.H. is a member of an advisory board for Janssen-Cilag Australia and has received honoraria from Janssen Pharmaceutical/Janssen-Cilag.
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
