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Product Focus :: About Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis refers to delayed gastric emptying, in the absence of mechanical obstruction of the pylorus and duodenum, and is associated with a variety of symptoms. It is a common gastrointestinal problem affecting approximately 8 million Americans. Patients may experience symptoms of: postprandial nausea and vomiting, particularly vomiting of food ingested several hours previously; epigastric pain and burning, upper abdominal distention (bloating), early satiety, bitter or acid regurgitation, belching and anorexia.
Gastroparesis is a significant medical issue if left untreated. When the stomach is functioning normally, contractions of the stomach help to crush ingested food and then propel the pulverized food into the small intestine where further digestion and absorption of nutrients occurs. When the condition of gastroparesis is present the stomach is unable to contract normally, and therefore cannot crush food nor propel food into the small intestine properly. Patients sometimes limit eating due to pain and other symptoms brought on by gastroparesis. The ensuing limited diet may lead to poor nutrition and dehydration with the patient ultimately receiving treatment in a hospital.
There are many etiologies of gastroparesis (see chart) and it often occurs in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Source: Irfan Soykan, MD, "Demography, Clinical Characteristics, Psychological and Abuse Profiles, Treatment, and Long-Term Follow-up of Patients with Gastroparesis," Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Vol. 43, No. 11 (November 1998), pp. 2398 - 2404.
Diabetes is a major cause of gastroparesis. The typical patient with diabetic gastroparesis has had long-standing, often poorly controlled, diabetes. The cause of diabetic gastroparesis is unknown; it is thought to be due in part to neuropathic changes in the vagus nerve or myenteric plexus. The vagus nerve controls the movement of food through the digestive tract. If the vagus nerve is damaged, the muscles of the stomach and intestines do not work normally, and the movement of food is slowed or stopped. Prolonged elevated serum glucose levels can cause vagus nerve damage.
Diabetes is a major healthcare challenge worldwide. It is estimated to affect 5% of the world's population and its prevalence appears to be doubling with each generation. As a result of sedentary lifestyles and rising levels of obesity the incidence of diabetes worldwide is increasing. Complications associated with diabetes are, therefore, also rising.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), in 2007, the total prevalence of diabetes in the US was 23.6 million people in the US. This represents 8% of the population, with 17.9 million being diagnosed with the disease leaving about 5.7 million people undiagnosed. Approximately 1.6 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2007. The prevalence of gastroparesis among Type 1 diabetics is approximately 25% and among patients with Type 2 diabetes is 8%. The total number of patients suffering from diabetic gastroparesis in the US is estimated at about 2.3 million. The number of total persons suffering from all forms of gastroparesis is approximately 8 million in the US.
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