Gastrointestinal manifestations of diabetes

Abstract

Gastrointestinal disorders are common in diabetic patients. While diabetic patients often suffer from the same gastrointestinal disorders as nondiabetic individuals, some conditions are more commonly seen in patients with diabetes. Enteric autonomic neuropathy is believed to be a major contributor to gastrointestinal symptoms as it may affect epithelial cells, muscles, or nerves. Damage and dysfunction may be acute and reversible or chronic and irreversible. There have been advances in the understanding and management of several conditions particularly prevalent in diabetic patients, such as esophageal dysmotility, gastroparesis, and constipation, due mainly to the development of improved techniques to assess and modulate neuromuscular function. Optimal management of a patient with diabetes mellitus includes preventing and treating a wide variety of gastrointestinal complaints beyond the management of glycemia.