Predictors of delayed gastric emptying in diabetes

OBJECTIVE - To define the predictors of the rate of gastric emptying in pat ients 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 m easurement), 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 gast rointestinal symptoms (including nausea and vomiting), only abdominal bloat ing/fullness was associated with slower gastric emptying (P < 0.005). A mul tiple regression analysis demonstrated. that both abdominal bloating/fullne ss 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 diabeti c gastroparesis and that gastric emptying is slower in diabetic women than in diabetic men.