Background: Gastrointestinal complaints are common in diabetes mellitus (DM), and may be associated with gastrointestinal autonomic neuropathy. However, reliable methods for investigating gastrointestinal autonomic function are lacking. Could gallbladder dysfunction indicate gastrointestinal autonomic neuropathy as a complication of DM?

Aim: To compare stimulated gallbladder emptying in people with long-standing type 2 DM, early diabetes (early DM), and healthy controls (HC). Methods: This study included 62 subjects (19 with DM, 15 with early DM, and 28 HCs) who underwent 3D ultrasound imaging before and after intake of a high-fat meal. Gallbladder volumes, ejection volumes (EV), and ejection fractions (EF) were calculated.

Results: Maximum preprandial volume was significantly different between the three groups (p=0.04) and higher in the DM group compared to HCs (33.8 mL vs. 23.0 mL, p=0.01). The DM group had significantly higher EV than the HCs (19.4 mL vs. 13.6 mL, p=0.05). Median EF did not differ significantly between the groups.

Conclusion: Higher preprandial gallbladder volume and altered gallbladder function, expressed through higher EV in patients with DM may indicate gastrointestinal neuropathy. Ultrasonographic assessment of gallbladder emptying may prove a useful biomarker for this condition.

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Disclosure

T.Jouleh: None. I.K.Nordaas: None. E.Tjora: None. S.Meling: Consultant; Novo Nordisk, Lilly, AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Sanofi. G.Dimcevski: None. O.H.Gilja: None. E.Søfteland: None.

© 2023 by the American Diabetes Association
2023
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