A Cross-sectional Survey of Patients with Suspected Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in Japan

Abstract

Objective The burden of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) is poorly understood. The present study reported on the current status of DPNP in Japan, to improve our understanding of this condition among healthcare providers and inform future clinical research on its prevalence, diagnosis, and management. Methods A cross-sectional, observational study (UMIN000037023) was conducted via a web-based survey. The primary endpoints were the frequency of patients with bilateral foot symptoms, consulting a doctor, understanding DPNP, and reporting problems in daily life, as well as the treatment awareness of patients. Patients Adults ≥20 years old who were registered in the Rakuten Insight Disease Panel and receiving anti-diabetic therapy in Japan were included. Results Bilateral foot pain symptoms were reported by 1,768/7,754 (22.8%) respondents, most commonly intense numbness (13.0%). Of those with symptoms, 55.3% consulted a doctor; the most common reason for not seeking consultation was feeling that symptoms were insufficiently severe to bother their doctor (89.4%). Nearly 60% reported understanding the causes of their symptoms, with diabetes-associated neurologic deficits (58.8%) most commonly identified. About one-quarter reported daily life problems, including an inability to walk for long periods (58.3%) and feeling anxious (58.1%). Treatment awareness was reported by 18.2%; oral medications were commonly recognized (64.6%). Conclusion In Japan, 22.8% of patients with diabetes have bilateral foot pain symptoms; some experience problems in their daily life without understanding the causes of their symptoms. This supports the importance of actions to increase awareness and minimize DPNP-associated impairment of daily life in patients with diabetes.

A Cross-Sectional Web Survey of Satisfaction with Treatment for Pain in Participants with Suspected Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in Both Feet

“…Overall, surveys, such as the one utilized in the present study, can provide broad and valuable overviews of data. In fact, several web-based surveys have been conducted to obtain data related to the burden of diabetes and DPNP among different populations of participants with diabetes [18,29,[35][36][37][38][39].…”

“…Of the 7565 potential participants with diabetes mellitus who accessed the questionnaire, 6430 provided electronic informed consent and 777 met the inclusion criteria and did not meet any of the exclusion criteria and responded to the questionnaire (analysis set). Almost half of the participants included in the present study were also included in a previously published web survey that utilized the same patient panels [18]. Participant characteristics are shown in Table 1.…”

“…Sasaki et al recently performed a web survey to investigate the real-world status of bilateral foot pain in participants being treated for diabetes in Japan [18]. Of the 7754 survey respondents, 22.8% had bilateral foot pain symptoms.…”