Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gastric emptying in Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites

  • Esophageal, Gastric, And Duodenal Disorders
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mexican Americans, a group at high risk for type II diabetes mellitus, have higher postprandial insulin and glucose levels when compared to non-Hispanic whites. A rapid rate of gastric emptying contributes to an increased rate of nutrient absorption and subsequent greater elevation of postprandial glucose and insulin levels. A more rapid rate of gastric emptying and hyperinsulinemia have been observed in patients with recently diagnosed type II diabetes mellitus. In this study, we examined whether Mexican Americans have a more rapid rate of gastric emptying than non-Hispanic whites. Gastric emptying studies were performed on 32 nondiabetic Mexican Americans and on 31 nondiabetic non-Hispanic whites. The rate of gastric emptying following a liquid glucose meal was measured. Serum insulin, plasma glucose, and GIP levels were measured in fasting and postprandial blood samples collected at 15-min intervals for 2 hr. Adjusting for age, body mass index, and gender, the gastric half-emptying time of a glucose meal was significantly (P<0.05) more rapid for the Mexican American subjects (56.5±3.4 min) compared to the non-Hispanic white subjects (66.4±3.5 min). Nondiabetic Mexican Americans empty a liquid glucose meal more rapidly from their stomachs than nondiabetic non-Hispanic whites. Rapid gastric emptying is associated with hyperinsulinemia as a normal physiologic response to increased nutrient availability. The rapid gastric emptying observed in nondiabetic Mexican Americans is associated with hyperinsulinemia and could be a contributing factor for the increased risk of obesity and type II diabetes in this population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Diehl AK, Stern MP: Special health problems of Mexican-Americans: Obesity, gallbladder disease, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Adv Intern Med 34:73–96, 1989

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Harris MI: Epidemiology correlates of NIDDM in Hispanics, Whites and Blacks in the U.S. population. Diabetes Care 14:639–648, 1991

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. King H, Rewers M: Diabetes in adults is now a third world problem. Bull World Health Org 69:643–648, 1991

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Haffner SM, Stern MP, Hazuda HP, Pugh JA, Patterson JK: Hyperinsulinemia in a population at high risk for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 315:220–224, 1986

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Boyko EJ, Keane EM, Marshall JA, Hamman RF: Higher insulin and C-peptide concentrations in Hispanic population at high risk for NIDDM. San Luis Valley diabetes study. Diabetes 40:509–515, 1991

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Phillips WT, Schwartz JG, McMahan CA: Rapid gastric emptying of an oral glucose solution in type 2 diabetic patients. J Nucl Med 33:1496–1500, 1992

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Phillips WT, Schwartz JG, McMahan CA: Reduced postprandial blood glucose levels in recently diagnosed non-insulin-dependent diabetes secondary to pharmacologically induced delayed gastric emptying. Dig Dis Sci 38:51–58, 1993

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Liddle RA, Rushakoff RJ, Morita ET, Beccaria L, Carter JD, Goldfine ID: Physiological role for cholecystokinin in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia in humans. J Clin Invest 81:1675–1681. 1988

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. WHO Study Group: Diabetes mellitus. Geneva, World Health Organization, Technical Report Series, No. 727, 1985

  10. Schwartz JG, Phillips WT, Aghebat-Khairy B: Revision of the oral glucose tolerance test: A pilot study. Clin Chem 36:125–128, 1990

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Phillips WT, Schwartz JG, Blumhardt R, McMahan CA: Linear gastric emptying of hyperosmolar glucose solutions. J Nucl Med 2:377–381, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  12. Moore JG, Christian PE, Taylor AT, Alazraki N: Gastric emptying measurement: Delayed and complex emptying patterns without appropriate correction. J Nucl Med 26:1206–1210, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kuzio M, Dryburgh JR, Malloy KM, Brown JC: Radioimmunoassay for gastric inhibitory polypeptide. Gastroenterology 66:357–364, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Snedecor GW, Cochran WG, eds: Statistical methods. Ames, Iowa, Iowa State University Press, 1967

    Google Scholar 

  15. Carbonnel F, Lemann M, Rambaud JC, Mundler O, Jian R. Effect of the energy density of a solid-liquid meal on gastric emptying and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr 60:307–311, 1994

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Haffner SM, Stern MP, Mitchell BD, Hazuda HP, Patterson JK: Incidence of Type II diabetes in Mexican Americans predicted by fasting insulin and glucose levels, obesity, and body-fat distribution. Diabetes 39:283–288, 1990

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Campbell PJ, Carlson MG: Impact of obesity on insulin action in NIDDM. Diabetes 42:405–410, 1993

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Shaten BJ, Smith GD, Kuller SH, Neaton JD: Risk factors for the development of type II diabetes among men enrolled in the usual care group of the multiple risk factor intervention trial. Diabetes Care 16:1331–1339, 1993

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Centers for Disease Control: Prevalence of overweight for Hispanics: United States, 1982–1984. MMWR 38:838–843, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  20. Nichaman MZ, Garcia G: Obesity in Hispanic Americans. Diabetes Care 14(suppl 3):691–694, 1991

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Mitchell BD, Haffner SM, Hazuda HP, Valdez R, Stern MP: The relation between serum insulin levels and 8-year changes in lipid, lipoprotein, and blood pressure levels. Am J Epidemiol 136:12–22, 1992

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Mueller WH, Joos SK, Hanis CL, Zavaleta AN, Eichner J, Schull WJ: The Diabetes Alert Study: growth, fatness, and fat patterning, adolescence through adulthood in Mexican-Americans. Am J Phys Anthropol 64:389–399, 1984

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Horowitz M, Edelbroek MAL, Wishart JM, Straathof JW: Relationship between oral glucose tolerance and gastric emptying in normal healthy subjects. Diabetologia 36:857–862. 1993

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Thompson DG, Wingate DL, Thomas M, Harrison D: Gastric emptying as a determinant of the oral glucose tolerance test. Gastroenterology 82:51–55, 1982

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hutson WR, Roehrkasse RL, Wald A: Influence of gender and menopause on gastric emptying and motility. Gastroenterology 96:11–17, 1989

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Datz FL, Christian PE, Moore J: Gender-related differences in gastric emptying. J Nucl Med 28:1204–1207, 1987

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Thomas FB, Schook DF, O'Dorisio TM, Cataland S, Mekhjian HS, Caldwell JH, Mazzaferri EL: Localization of gastric inhibitory polypeptide release by intestinal glucose perfusion in man. Gastroenterology 72:49–54, 1977

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Departments of Pathology, Physiology, and Radiology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA

    Joyce G. Schwartz MD, C. Alex McMahan PhD, Gary M. Green PhD & William T. Phillips MD

Authors
  1. Joyce G. Schwartz MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Alex McMahan PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gary M. Green PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. William T. Phillips MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Funding for this research was provided by the South Texas Health Research Center.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schwartz, J.G., Alex McMahan, C., Green, G.M. et al. Gastric emptying in Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites. Digest Dis Sci 40, 624–630 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02064382

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02064382

Key Words

Search

Navigation