Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Background: Development and progression of gastrointestinal complications in T2DM patients are one of the main contributors in the clinical course of the disease. Therefore, early recognition of gastroparesis is an important issue, despite this is not an easy task.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and identify determinants of gastroparesis symptoms among T2DM patients.

Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia among all patients diagnosed with T2DM patients and attended the chronic illness clinics of King Khalid Armed Forces hospital throughout the period April-May, 2022. An interview questionnaire was utilized including 5 main parts: Demographic data of patients, medical history, weight and height measurements, the most recent hemoglobin A1c, and the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptoms Index (GCSI) to estimate the prevalence of gastroparesis.

Results: The study included 348 T2DM patients. More than half of them (57.8%) were females. Their age ranged between 23 and 75 years with an arithmetic mean±standard deviation of 54±11.3 years. The commonest reported gastroparesis symptoms were stomach fullness (45.1%), nausea (42%), loss of appetite (42%)and feeling excessively full after meals (41.1%). Overall, the prevalence of gastroparesis symptoms among T2DM patients was 11.8%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that females were at high significant risk for developing gastroparesis symptoms compared to males (Adjusted odds ratio “AOR”==2.49, 95% confidence interval “CI”: 1.18-5.27), p=0.016. Participants` glycated hemoglobin level was not significantly associated with gastroparesis symptoms after controlling for confounder effect.

Conclusion: The prevalence of gastroparesis symptoms among T2DM patients was not high. Symptoms were more likely to affect female than male patients. However, they were not independently associated with glycemic control or treatment with metformin.