title: Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in diabetic patients and non-diabetic subjects.
abstract: To determine the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms in diabetic patients, 190 patients, consecutively referred to the Diabetes Research Institute, reported their gastrointestinal symptoms on a standardized symptom list. One hundred and eighty non-diabetic healthy subjects served as (matched) controls. Finally, 75 patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (33 male, 43 female; age 34,1 (18-60) yrs, diabetes duration: 11,1 (0,3-41) yrs) and 68 patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (31 male, 37 female, age: 61,4 (37-88) yrs, diabetes duration: 10,7 (0,3-40) yrs) were studied and compared with two cohorts of controls of the same size. There were no differences in prevalence of symptoms referrable to the upper and lower GI-tract in type 1 diabetic patients as compared with controls. Among patients with type 2 diabetes the main gastrointestinal complaint was constipation (22,1% vs 10,3%; p < 0.05). Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were also more frequent among Type 2 diabetic subjects (nausea 11,8% vs 2,9%, p < 0.05). There was a tendency for an increased symptom prevalence with higher age in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Presence of peripheral neuropathy was associated with a higher symptom prevalence in type 1 diabetes. After stratification, diabetes duration and glycaemic control (HbA1c) did not influence the frequency of symptoms. Thus, gastrointestinal symptoms occur frequently among both diabetic patients and non-diabetic subjects. However, significant differences were found only in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, the commonest symptom being constipation. These findings support the need of a nondiabetic control group in epidemiological studies evaluating symptom prevalence in diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enck
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rathmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spiekermann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czerner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tschöpe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strohmeyer
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Gries
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000294:innervation; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged