Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 14, 2010; 16(14): 1782-1787
Published online Apr 14, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i14.1782
Diabetic factors associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes
Jeong Hwan Kim, Hyung Seok Park, Soon Young Ko, Sung Noh Hong, In-Kyung Sung, Chan Sub Shim, Kee-Ho Song, Dong-Lim Kim, Sook Kyung Kim, Jeeyoung Oh
Jeong Hwan Kim, Hyung Seok Park, Soon Young Ko, Sung Noh Hong, In-Kyung Sung, Chan Sub Shim, Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Disease Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 143-729, South Korea
Jeong Hwan Kim, Sung Noh Hong, Medical Immunology Center, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 143-729, South Korea
Kee-Ho Song, Dong-Lim Kim, Sook Kyung Kim, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 143-729, South Korea
Jeeyoung Oh, Department of Neurology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 143-729, South Korea
Author contributions: Kim JH, Park HS and Song KH designed the research; Park HS, Ko SY, Hong SN, Sung IK, Shim CS, Song KH, Kim DL, Kim SK and Oh J performed the research; Kim JH wrote the paper.
Supported by Konkuk University
Correspondence to: Hyung Seok Park, MD, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Digestive Disease Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, 4-12 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-729, South Korea. hspark@kuh.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-2-20305010 Fax: +82-2-20305029
Received: December 18, 2009
Revised: February 1, 2010
Accepted: February 8, 2010
Published online: April 14, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To determine whether gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are more frequent in type 2 diabetic patients and to examine which diabetic factors are associated with the symptoms.

METHODS: Consecutive subjects with diabetes and age-/gender-matched normal controls were recruited for this study. GI symptoms were assessed using a structured questionnaire divided into two GI symptom categories (upper and lower GI symptoms), and consisting of 11 individual symptoms. In the diabetic patient group, diabetic complications including peripheral neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and diabetes duration were evaluated.

RESULTS: Among the total 190 diabetic patients and 190 controls enrolled, 137 (72%) of the diabetic patients and 116 (62%) of the controls had GI symptoms. In the diabetic patient group, 83 (43%) had upper GI symptoms and 110 (58%) lower GI symptoms; in the control group, 59 (31%) had upper GI symptoms and 104 (55%) lower GI symptoms. This difference between the two groups was significant for only the upper GI symptoms (P = 0.02). Among the diabetic factors, the HbA1c level was the only independent risk factor for upper GI symptoms in the multiple logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 2.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-3.95).

CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetes was associated with an increased prevalence of upper GI symptoms and these symptoms appeared to be independently linked to poor glycemic control, as measured by the HbA1c levels.

Keywords: Diabetes; HbA1c; Upper gastrointestinal symptoms