Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Delayed gastric emptying affects a substantial proportion of patients with long-standing diabetes. On the other hand changes in gastric incretin hormones also play an important role in the pathophysiology of diabetes. In our study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of gastrointestinal disease in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Methods: A total of 73 patients with newly diagnosed pre-diabetes and diabetes were included in the study. Patients were examined in detail, gastrointestinal disorders and gastrointestinal medications were recorded. Furthermore, during admission, a questionnaire for gastrointestinal disease; gastrointestinal symptoms rating scale (GSRS) was performed. Data were compared in patients with pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Results: Mean age of diabetic patients (n=39) was 47.6±8.7 while 39.8±14.6 of pre-diabetic patients (n=34) (P=0.009), and mean HbA1c levels were found 7.8±1.9 in patients with diabetes, 5.8±0.4 in patients with pre-diabetes (P<0.001). Fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG) and creatinine levels were higher in patients with diabetes compared to pre-diabetes (FBG 156.7 and 99.4, PBG 230.7 and 143.2, creatinine 0.8 and 0.6). The average total GSRS scores were 5.95±3.9 and 4.59±4.2 in patients with diabetes and pre-diabetes respectively (P=0.09). The frequency of gastrointestinal diseases were 38.5% in diabetic patients and 11.8% in the pre-diabetics (P=0.009). Gastrointestinal drug use (GIDuse) were observed in 20.5% of diabetics and 5.9% of pre-diabetics (P=0.060). No correlation was detected with the presence of gastro-intestinal disease between age, biochemical parameters, HbA1c level or BMI.

Conclusion: In patients with long standing diabetes, gastroparesis, is a known complication. However, in our study, presence of gastrointestinal diseases was significantly higher in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes when compared with pre-diabetic patients. When also considering incretin hormone effect, contributing of gastrointestinal diseases to the development of diabetes maybe become obvious.