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Relationships between hypoglycaemia and gastric emptying abnormalities in insulin‐treated diabetic patients 1
Author(s) -
Lysy J.,
Israeli E.,
Straussliviatan N.,
Goldin E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
neurogastroenterology and motility
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.489
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1365-2982
pISSN - 1350-1925
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2006.00800.x
Subject(s) - gastric emptying , medicine , gastroenterology , insulin , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , hypoglycemia , stomach
We hypothesize that hypoglycaemia in insulin‐treated diabetic patients may result from gastric emptying abnormalities causing insulin and food absorption mismatching. We tested gastric emptying in insulin‐treated diabetic patients with unexplained hypoglycaemia and without dyspepsia and in diabetic patients without hypoglycaemia, prospectively. Thirty‐one diabetic patients with unexplained hypoglycaemic events within 2 h of insulin injection and 18 insulin‐treated diabetic patients without hypoglycaemic events underwent gastric emptying breath tests, glycaemic control and autonomic nerve function. Gastric emptying tests were abnormal in 26 (83.9%) and in four (22.2%) patients with and without hypoglycaemia, respectively ( P < 0.001). Gastric emptying was significantly slower in hypoglycaemic diabetic patients ( t 1/2 139.9 ± 74.1 vs 77.8 ± 23.3 and t lag 95.8 ± 80.3 vs 32.84 ± 16.95 min, P < 0.001 for both comparisons; t ‐tests). A significant association between hypoglycaemic patients and abnormal values of t 1/2 and t lag was found ( P < 0.001). Gastric emptying abnormalities were more frequent in hypoglycaemic patients. We suggest gastric emptying tests for diabetic patients with unexplained hypoglycaemic events.