Effects of diabetes mellitus on gastrointestinal motor function

Abstract

Disordered gastrointestinal motility occurs frequently, and represents a generally underestimated cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus. The aetiology of gastrointestinal symptoms, which are presumed to arise primarily as a result of abnormal motor function, is poorly understood. It has been established, however, that changes in both gastrointestinal motor function and the perception of sensations arising from the gastrointestinal tract, may result from acute changes in the blood glucose concentration. The rate of gastric emptying is an important determinant of postprandial blood glucose homeostasis in normal subjects and in patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. It appears probable that modulation of gastric emptying will prove to be a therapeutically useful approach to the optimisation of glycaemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus.