title: Gastric emptying in Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites.
abstract: Mexican Americans, a group at high risk for type II diabetes mellitus, have higher postprandial insulin and glucose levels when compared to non-Hispanic whites. A rapid rate of gastric emptying contributes to an increased rate of nutrient absorption and subsequent greater elevation of postprandial glucose and insulin levels. A more rapid rate of gastric emptying and hyperinsulinemia have been observed in patients with recently diagnosed type II diabetes mellitus. In this study, we examined whether Mexican Americans have a more rapid rate of gastric emptying than non-Hispanic whites. Gastric emptying studies were performed on 32 nondiabetic Mexican Americans and on 31 nondiabetic non-Hispanic whites. The rate of gastric emptying following a liquid glucose meal was measured. Serum insulin, plasma glucose, and GIP levels were measured in fasting and postprandial blood samples collected at 15-min intervals for 2 hr. Adjusting for age, body mass index, and gender, the gastric half-emptying time of a glucose meal was significantly (P < 0.05) more rapid for the Mexican American subjects (56.5 +/- 3.4 min) compared to the non-Hispanic white subjects (66.4 +/- 3.5 min). Nondiabetic Mexican Americans empty a liquid glucose meal more rapidly from their stomachs than nondiabetic non-Hispanic whites. Rapid gastric emptying is associated with hyperinsulinemia as a normal physiologic response to increased nutrient availability. The rapid gastric emptying observed in nondiabetic Mexican Americans is associated with hyperinsulinemia and could be a contributing factor for the increased risk of obesity and type II diabetes in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284-7750.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McMahan
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D005749:Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide / Q000097:blood; D005947:Glucose; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000208:ethnology; D015994:Incidence; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D005749:Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide; D005947:Glucose