Digestive ills linked to poor diabetes control

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Digestive ills linked to poor diabetes control

NEW YORK, Apr 19 (Reuters Health) - Gastrointestinal problems such as

heartburn and stomach pain are common in people with diabetes, and

Australian researchers report that these problems may be linked to poor

blood sugar control.

The investigators found that diabetic patients who had digestive

problems were also more likely to have a type of nerve damage called

peripheral neuropathy, and suggest that damage to nerves controlling the

gastrointestinal system in diabetics might be responsible for their

stomach ills.

Diabetes occurs when a person loses the ability to respond to the blood

sugar-regulating hormone insulin, or does not produce insulin at all.

The condition is a major risk factor for heart disease, kidney failure,

blindness and limb amputations. By carefully controlling their blood

sugar levels--with exercise, diet, medications and in some cases insulin

injections--people with diabetes can lessen their risk of developing

these complications.

While the fact that people with diabetes are likely to have digestive

problems is well known, Dr. J. Talley of the University of

Sydney and colleagues note, the mechanism behind these problems is not

clear. To investigate, they surveyed 1,101 people with diabetes about

their gastrointestinal problems and other symptoms and analyzed the

results. Their findings are published in the American Journal of

Gastroenterology.

Among the 463 patients who had a lab test that gauges how well blood

sugar is being controlled, Talley's team found that poor glucose control

was associated with digestive problems.

Other diabetes-linked complications such as kidney and retina damage, as

well as peripheral neuropathy, were also linked to digestive symptoms.

The more diabetic complications a person had, the more likely they were

to also report problems like gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn,

abdominal pain and constipation.

Of eight gastrointestinal symptoms the researchers assessed, all but

diarrhea were associated with peripheral neuropathy. For this reason,

Talley and his colleagues hypothesize that damage to nerves controlling

internal organ function may be behind the digestive symptoms of people

with diabetes. They suggest that people with diabetes can cut down on

these problems by tightly controlling their blood sugar.

SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology 2002;97:604-611.