Reflux, dysphonia, and dysphagia symptoms in patients with diabetes and their association with diabetic complications

BACKGROUND/AIM: Diabetes mellitus (DM) could influence various organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels, and finally results in many irreversible disease-related complications. In this paper, the association between reflux, swallowing, and voice symptoms in patients with DM and the possible effect of diabetic complications on these symptoms were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 179 patients with diabetes were included to the study. Three self-reported questionnaires; Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) were administrated to the patients and, their association with DM-related neuropathy and nephropathy were examined. RESULTS: The scores of each questionnaire were significantly correlated with each other (p < 0.001). There was not any statistically significant association between the score of T-RSI and the diabetic complications (p = 0.077), while a statistically significant association was found between the T-EAT-10 score and neuropathy (p < 0.001). Neither neuropathy nor nephropathy alone had an association with the T-VHI-10 score. However, the presence of nephropathy and neuropathy together was found to be associated with the T-VHI-10 score (p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: It is possible to conclude that gastrointestinal symptoms such as reflux, dysphonia, and dysphagia are associated with each other and they may possibly be related to the microvascular complications of DM. The clinicians should be aware of the possible reflux, voice, and swallowing complaints and also inquire about the presence of neuropathy and nephropathy in the diabetic population.