Effects of oral erythromycin on esophageal motility in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Fifteen patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were included in the study. Esophageal motility, including esophageal mean transit time (MTT), residual fraction (RF), and retrograde index (RI), was evaluated and calculated by the radionuclide esophageal transit test (RETT). The baseline study was performed before the oral erythromycin therapy. After a 2-week course treatment, the subjects underwent a second study. The results showed that (A) in the baseline study, 93% (14/15) of NIDDM patients had a longer MTT, 67% (10/15) had a higher RF and 80% (12/15) had a higher RI; and (B) after treatment with erythromycin, 73% (11/15) of the patients had a shorter MTT and a lower RF, and 60% (9/15) of the patients had a lower RI. We conclude that (1) most of the NIDDM patients had esophageal motility disorders and (2) a 2-week oral erythromycin therapy can improve diabetic esophagoparesis, as evaluated by non-invasive REET.