Dyspepsia and Gastric Emptying in Diabetics

A study, conducted by Dutch investigators, found that more than one fourth of patients with controlled diabetes are affected by delayed gastric emptying, but that common symptoms of indigestion do not predict the rate of emptying.The study examined the relationship between gastrointestinal (GI) sensations during the gastric emptying test and GI sensations experienced in daily life among diabetic patients and matched controls.

The study's results, which were published in the November issue of Diabetes Care, showed that gastric emptying was slower in patients reporting fullness, upper abdominal pain, and less hunger (ie, symptoms of dyspepsia) during the 2 weeks before the study. Multivariate analysis, however, showed that these symptoms did not predict the rate of gastric emptying. In contrast, the results did demonstrate a weak but significant association between feelings of fullness and satiety during the test and the rate of gastric emptying. The researchers attribute delayed gastric emptying to autonomic dysfunction and conclude that commonly experienced dyspeptic symptoms may be related to altered visceral perception and impaired gastric accommodation.