How Does Long Term Diabetes Cause Gastroparesis

Extended periods of high glucose in the blood cause nerve damage throughout the body. Chronically high blood sugar levels also damage the blood vessels that supply the body’s nerves and organs with nutrition and oxygen. This includes the vagus nerve and digestive tract, both of which ultimately lead to gastroparesis.

Why does gastroparesis occur in diabetes?

Gastroparesis may occur in people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Gastroparesis is the result of damage to the vagus nerve, which controls the movement of food through the digestive system. Instead of the food moving through the digestive tract normally, it is retained in the stomach.

How does diabetes affect gastric emptying?

There is an inverse relationship between the rate of gastric emptying and the blood glucose concentration, so that emptying is slower during hyperglycaemia and faster during hypoglycaemia. The motor dysfunctions responsible for delayed gastric emptying in patients with diabetes are heterogeneous.