Prevalence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in type 2 diabetes mellitus with poor glycemic control

To evaluate the relationship between exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and the level of glycemic control in diabetes (DM). Patients with type 2 DM treated in our clinic were prospectively recruited into the study. Pancreatic diabetes was excluded. Cases with HbA1c ≥7% formed Group A (n = 59), and with HbA1c <7% Group B (n = 42). The fecal level of pancreatic elastase (PE-1) was measured and morphological examinations of the pancreas were performed. The PE-1 level was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (385.9 ± 171.1 μg/g, vs. 454.6 ± 147.3 μg/g, p = 0.038). The PE-1 level was not correlated with HbA1c (r = −0.132, p = 0.187), the duration of DM (r = −0.046, p = 0.65), age (r = 0.010, p = 0.921), BMI (r = 0.203, p = 0.059), or pancreatic steatosis (r = 0.117, p = 0.244). The size of the pancreas did not differ significantly between Groups A and B. An exocrine pancreatic insufficiency demonstrated by fecal PE-1 determination is more frequent in type 2 DM patients with poor glycemic control. The impaired exocrine pancreatic function cannot be explained by an alteration in the size of the pancreas or by pancreatic steatosis.