Long-term cisapride treatment improves diabetic gastroparesis but not glycaemic control.
BACKGROUND
In patients with diabetic gastroparesis, delayed food delivery to the intestine may become a major obstacle to post-prandial glycaemic control.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether cisapride accelerates gastric emptying in the long term or improves diabetes control in patients with diabetic gastroparesis.


METHODS
Eighty-five patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) > 7.0%), dyspepsia and diabetic neuropathy were tested for impaired gastric emptying of solids by the 13C-octanoate breath test. Nineteen of these patients with severe diabetic gastroparesis (i.e. t1/2 > 170 min) were randomly treated with 10 mg cisapride t.d.s. (n=9) or placebo (n=10) for 12 months. Thereafter, the breath test, dyspeptic symptoms and HbA1c values were reassessed.


RESULTS
Half emptying times in nine patients with diabetic gastroparesis were significantly shortened by cisapride (175 +/- 46 min vs. 227 +/- 40 min; P < 0.03). Half emptying times in the 10 patients taking placebo did not change (205 +/- 37 min vs. 211 +/- 36 min, P=0.54). Cisapride significantly reduced dyspepsia (score: 4.1 +/- 1.6 vs. 2.0 +/- 0.5, P=0.002). HbA1c values after 12 months of treatment were not different (cisapride: 7.7 +/- 0.4% vs. 7.6 +/- 0.9%, P=0.76; placebo: 7.5 +/- 0.6% vs. 7.6 +/- 1.5%, P=0.89).


CONCLUSIONS
Prokinetic treatment with cisapride accelerates gastric emptying of solids and improves dyspeptic symptoms in diabetic gastroparesis. Glycaemic control, however, is not affected by cisapride.
Braden
B
B
Medical Department I and II, University Hospital Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Braden@em-uni.frankfurt.de
Enghofer
M
M
Schaub
M
M
Usadel
K-H
KH
Caspary
W F
WF
Lembcke
B
B
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D020117:Cisapride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001786:Blood Glucose; D020117:Cisapride; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists