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Gastrointestinal Complications of Diabetes pp 163–176Cite as

Clinical Manifestations

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Part of the book series: Clinical Gastroenterology ((CG))

Abstract

Gastrointestinal complications of diabetes mellitus are common if diabetes is not treated properly. About 30% of patients with long-standing diabetes and chronic hyperglycemia have diabetic autonomic neuropathy, which can affect the enteric nervous system. In addition to diabetic autonomic neuropathy with sensory-motor disturbances, diabetes causes histomorphological and biomechanical gastrointestinal tract remodeling that affects all layers of the colon wall. Proposed mechanisms are hyperglycemia-induced increased expression of advanced glycation end-products (AGE) and their receptors (RAGE) in the intestinal wall, and oxidative stress. The whole gastrointestinal tract may be affected, and we can expect motility disorder, abnormal secretion, absorption, and transportation. Clinical consequences of colon engagement are diarrhea, constipation, fecal incontinence, and alternation, or a combination of these symptoms. Although gastrointestinal complications of diabetes mellitus are common, physicians still do not think enough about them.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia

    Alen Bišćanin

  2. School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Alen Bišćanin

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  1. Alen Bišćanin
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

    Marko Duvnjak

  2. Merkur University Hospital, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

    Lea Smirčić-Duvnjak

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Bišćanin, A. (2018). Clinical Manifestations. In: Duvnjak, M., Smirčić-Duvnjak, L. (eds) Gastrointestinal Complications of Diabetes . Clinical Gastroenterology. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75856-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75856-5_13

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