Assessment of gastric neuropathy using electrogastrography in asymptomaticdiabetic patients. Correlation with cardiac autonomic neuropathy

This study assessed gastric neuropathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus and its relationships with cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Fifty-four asymptomatic ty pe 1 patients (43 +/- 12 years) and 15 healthy subjects participated in the study. Cutaneous electrogastrography (EGG) was recorded for 4 h before, du ring, and 4 h after the ingestion of a standard meal. EGG frequency was div ided into three bands: bradygastria [< 2 cpm), normal (2-4 cpm) and tachyga stria (4-10 cpm)]. Assessment of diabetic autonomic neuropathy was based on Ewing tests and time and frequency domain indexes, which were analyzed fro m 24-h continuous ECG recordings. Tachygastria was significantly more commo n in diabetic patients than in controls throughout the recording period (38 +/- 5 vs 23 +/- 11.8 %, p < 0.001), before (37 +/- 6 vs 26.5 +/- 8.9 %, p < 0.001), during (41 +/- 7.8 vs 23 +/- 10.5 %, p < 0.001) and after the mea l (37 +/- 6,9 vs 29 +/- 9,8%,p < 0.001). The percentage of dominant frequen cy in the normal range was significantly lower in diabetic patients than co ntrols (49 +/- 6 vs 63.3 +/- 11.1 %, p<0.001). Tachygastria was correlated with duration of diabetes (r = 0.234 p < 0.05), but not with glycaemic cont rol. Abnormalities in gastric myoelectrical activity were not correlated wi th Ewing tests or time and frequency domain indexes.