ANTRAL MYOELECTRIC ACTIVITY, GASTRIC-EMPTYING, AND DYSPEPTIC SYMPTOMSIN DIABETICS

Background: Electrogastrography (EGG) enables the cutaneous measuremen t of gastric electric activity. An association between electric abnorm alities and gastrointestinal motility disorders has been shown. The pr imary objective of this study was to investigate whether diabetic gast roparesis could be predicted by EGG. Methods: EGG was performed in 18 insulin-treated type-II diabetics (9 female, 9 male; median age, 64 ye ars; range, 45-76 years) with chronic dyspepsia. After an overnight fa st, during 1 h in the fasting and 1 h in the fed state after ingestion of a liquid-solid test meal (370 kcal; liquid phase labeled with 0.5 mCi Tc-99m-colloid) antral electric activity was captured by one pair of electrodes sonographically placed on the skin overlying the gastric antrum. Several EGG variables including dominant frequency (DF), perc entages of DF in the normal range (2-4 cycles per minute (cpm)), brady gastria (<2 cpm), and tachygastria (4-10 cpm), dominant frequency inst ability coefficient (DFIC), and postprandial to preprandial power rati o (PR) were calculated by fast Fourier transform. The data were correl ated to results obtained in 20 age- and gender-matched healthy subject s (10 female, 10 male; median age, 68 years; range, 53-90 years). In a ddition, the data were compared with the percentages of retention of t he radionuclide in the stomach at 60 min, and lag times measured by si multaneous scintigraphy. Results: The EGG values obtained in diabetics did not differ significantly from those in healthy subjects and did n ot correlate with radioscintigraphy (p > 0.05). Moreover, the EGG valu es in diabetics with delayed gastric emptying (about 40%) did not diff er from data in diabetics without gastroparesis. Furthermore, whereas dyspepsia correlated significantly with radioscintigraphy, no correlat ion with EGG could be found. Conclusions: Electrogastrography seems to be unsuitable for assessment of motility disorders in type-II diabeti cs.