From the Guidelines
Elevated diner is not a medical term, however, assuming the question is about the causes of elevated diarrhea, the most common causes include chemotherapy-associated diarrhea, radiation therapy, and bile acid diarrhea. The causes of elevated diarrhea can be multifactorial, including:
- Chemotherapy-associated diarrhea, which is a common side effect of cancer treatment, with incidence rates ranging from 27% to 76% of neutropenic patients 1
- Radiation therapy involving the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause severe mucosal bowel damage resulting in acute or chronic diarrhea 1
- Bile acid diarrhea, which is a condition where the body has an imbalance of bile acids, leading to chronic diarrhea, and can be diagnosed using SeHCAT testing or serum bile acid precursor 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one 1 Other potential causes of diarrhea include:
- Infections, such as Clostridium difficile 1
- Lactose intolerance, which can be a cause of non-infectious diarrhea in cancer patients 1
- Neuroendocrine tumors, such as VIPomas, gastrinomas, and glucagonomas, which can cause diarrhea as part of a symptom complex 1
- Carcinoid syndrome, which can cause diarrhea in up to 50% of cases 1 It is essential to note that the diagnosis and management of diarrhea should be individualized, and the underlying cause should be identified and treated accordingly. The first-line treatment for non-infectious diarrhea is loperamide, and octreotide may be considered in patients who fail to respond to loperamide 1.
From the Research
Causes of Elevated Postprandial Glucose
- Postprandial hyperglycemia is a common issue in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and it can be caused by various factors, including insufficient insulin secretion after meals 2, 3.
- In healthy individuals, blood glucose levels are controlled by basal-level insulin secretion and the rapid release of insulin after meals, stimulated by glucose and incretins such as glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide 1 3.
- However, in diabetic individuals, postprandial insulin secretion is often insufficient, leading to elevated postprandial glucose levels 3, 4.
- Elevated postprandial glucose concentrations can contribute to suboptimal glycemic control and increase the risk of cardiovascular events, particularly in individuals with normal fasting plasma glucose but impaired glucose tolerance 3, 5.
Factors Contributing to Postprandial Hyperglycemia
- Inadequate insulin secretion after meals 2, 3
- Insufficient physical activity or exercise 6
- Poor dietary management, including high carbohydrate intake 3, 4
- Certain medications or medical conditions that affect glucose metabolism 2, 5