Prevalence of gastroparesis in diabetic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

AIM: Diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes. Studies have shown that approximately 75% of people with diabetes experience some form of gastrointestinal symptoms. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of DGP in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. METHODS: The databases Zhiwang, Wanfang, Wipu, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched for all observational studies published before October 1, 2022. Articles eligible for review were screened by two independent reviewers. Using STATA 17.0, we conducted a meta-analysis of DGP prevalence in DM patients based on a random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 1,168 articles were considered based on titles and abstracts, and 14 papers were retained following a full-text review. According to estimates, diabetes patients were affected by DGP at a combined rate of 9.3% (95% CI 7.6%–11%). Although there was no significant heterogeneity in the meta-publication, sensitivity analyses revealed significant heterogeneity. Overall, the prevalence was higher in women (N = 6, R = 4.6%, 95% CI = 3.1%, 6.0%, and I2 = 99.8%) than in men (N = 6, R = 3.4%, 95% CI = 2.0%, 4.7%, and I2 = 99.6the %); prevalence of type 2 diabetes (N = 9, R = 12.5%, 95% CI = 7.7%, 17.3%, and I2 = 95.4%) was higher than type 1 diabetes (N = 7, R = 8.3%, 95% CI = 6.4%, 10.2%, and I2 = 93.6%); the prevalence of DGP was slightly lower in DM patients aged over 60 years (N = 6, R = 5.5%, 95% CI = 3.3%, 7.7%, and I2 = 99.9%) compared to patients under 60 years of age (N = 12, R = 15.8%, 95% CI = 11 15.8%, 95% CI = 11.4%, 20.2%, and I2 = 88.3%). In conclusion, our findings indicate that the combined estimated prevalence of gastroparesis in diabetic patients is 9.3%. However, the sensitivity of the results is high, the robustness is low, and there are significant bias factors. The subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence of DM-DGP is associated with factors such as gender, diabetes staging, age, and study method.