Esophageal distension parameters as potential biomarkers of impaired gastrointestinal function in diabetes patients

Abstract

Patients with long-standing DM and GI symptoms had reduced esophageal sensitivity together with reduced compliance and increased stiffness, which were correlated to the patients' GI symptoms. Biomechanical parameters obtained during distension may serve as biomarker for similar pathophysiologic effects of diabetes in the stomach and small bowel. They may contribute to our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying GI dysfunction and symptoms in patients with longstanding DM.