August 2019: Diabetic Gastroparesis: Did You Know?

August 2019: Diabetic Gastroparesis: Did You Know?

  • Gastroparesis, a disorder of gastrointestinal motility, is a syndrome characterized by delayed emptying of the stomach
  • It is estimated to affect up to 5 million individuals in the US1
  • Diabetes (including both type 1 and type 2) is the most common known cause of gastroparesis2
  • Symptoms include1:
    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Bloating
    • Abdominal pain
    • Postprandial fullness (feeling full long after finishing a meal)
    • Early satiety (feeling full after consuming only a small amount of food
  • Gastroparesis is an important complication of long-term diabetes and is associated with significant impact on health, well-being, and possibly lifespan3
  • Vomiting from gastroparesis, as well as delayed gastric emptying itself, may cause significant difficulties in adjusting medications to achieve glucose control in affected diabetic patients3,4
  • Management goals are rarely met with current therapies, which can be limited by adverse events3
  • No new medications have been approved in three decades, and development of new and effective pharmacologic therapies is a major unmet need3

1 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). https://www.niddkrepository.org/studies/gpcrc/. Accessed April 20, 2018.
2 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gastroparesis. Accessed April 20, 2018.
3 Lembo A, et al. Gastroenterology. 2016;151(1):87-96.
4 American Diabetes Association (ADA). http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/gastroparesis.html. Accessed July 25, 2019