Gastrointestinal symptoms and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Our review of clinical practice demonstrates that gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were common in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes seen within our diabetes service. In those patients who are symptomatic, we observed that 42% had low faecal elastase 1 levels consistent with the diagnosis of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI). The presence of steatorrhoea and weight loss alone were insufficient to screen for PEI, and other GI symptoms (such as diarrhoea, abdominal cramps/pain and bloating) need to be additionally sought. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.