Zuzana Havlíčeková, Miriam Čiljaková, Renáta Szépeová, Peter Bánovčin
Gastrointestinal symptoms are commonly reported in patients with diabetes, but their etiopathogenesis remains poorly understood. It is supposed that impaired function of gastrointestinal tract results from acute changes of the plasmatic glucose level, autonomic neuropathy, microangiopathy, abnormalities of gastrointestinal hormones and neuropeptides, changes in insulin and glucagon releasing. Another possible connection between diabetes mellitus and gastrointestinal tract is association with some autoimmune diseases (autoimmune gastropathy, autoimmune chronic pancreatitis and celiac disease). Early recognition of associated gastrointestinal disorders is important for long-term management of diabetes.