Transit of radiopaque particles through the gastrointestinal tract: comparison between type 2 diabetes patients and healthy individuals.

BACKGROUND/AIMS some studies have reported controversial results when comparing the gastrointestinal transit between diabetic and healthy individuals. Therefore, we compared the gastrointestinal transit of radiopaque particles between diabetic and non-diabetic healthy individuals. METHODS abdominal radiographies were performed for 45 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 35 healthy individuals (gender and age similar for both groups) at 24 and 72 h after they ingested radiopaque particles. The mean number of particles in the colon was compared for both groups. The data were expressed as mean and standard deviation values. RESULTS at 24 h, the total number of particles in the colon did not differ significantly for the diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. At 72 hours, the distribution in the diabetic and non-diabetic individuals was as follows: right colon, 0.44 ± 0.88 and 0.26 ± 0.7, respectively (p = 0.8); left colon, 2.6 ± 4.2 and 0.49 ± 1.3 (p < 0.003); and rectosigmoid colon, 2.65 ± 3.8 and 0.80 ± 1.5 (p < 0.005).The mean number of radiopaque particles in the entire colon was 5.7 ± 7.1 and 1.5 ± 2.7 for diabetic and non-diabetic individuals, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS the number of radiopaque particles in the colon did not significantly differ for the diabetic and non-diabetic individuals at 24 h after ingestion but was significantly greater in diabetic individuals at 72 h after ingestion. At 72 h, the mean number of radiopaque particles in the left and rectosigmoid colon were significantly higher in the diabetics than in the non-diabetic individuals.