GASTROPARESIS OF DIGESTIBLE AND INDIGESTIBLE SOLIDS IN PATIENTS WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS OR FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA

Gastric emptying of a solid meal and of 10 indigestible radiopaque sol ids was measured with scintigraphic and radiological techniques in 50 healthy volunteers (controls), 41 patients with insulin-dependent diab etes mellitus, and 50 patients with functional dyspepsia. Gastroparesi s was found in 51% of our diabetic patients and 74% of our patients wi th dyspepsia. The values of T-lag, T-1/2 and the percentage of isotope remaining in the stomach at 3.05 min were 14.9 min, 59.4 min and 25.3 % in control subjects; 21.4 min, 88.1 min, and 46.9% in diabetic patie nts (P < 0.05 vs the control group); and 23.2 min, 114.6 min, and 58.7 % in dyspeptic patients (P < 0.05 vs the control group). Whereas all h ealthy volunteers emptied all 10 indigestible solids in less than 4 hr , only 51% and 32% of diabetics and dyspeptics, respectively, achieved this emptying time (P < 0.01). Their respective values of T-1/2 were 81 min, 212 min, and 203 min (P < 0.01 for; diabetics and dyspeptics v s controls). We found no correlation between the findings for gastric emptying of digestible and indigestible solids. We conclude that gastr oparesis affecting digestive and interdigestive motility is present in a high percentage of diabetics and functional dyspeptics and that con scientious evaluation of gastroparesis in both groups requires studies designed specifically to characterize each type of motility.