Differential diagnosis of neuropathic lesions in diabetic and alcoholic patients

Abstract

Cardiovascular reflex tests are used extensively to screen diabetic patients for autonomic cardiac neuropathy. Since alcohol abuse must often be considered the cause of nerve damage in internally ill patients, we examined 66 nonalcoholic type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetics and 63 nondiabetic alcoholics matched for age, weight, and duration of disease to determine whether specific patterns of complaints, symptoms, signs, and results of the cardiovascular reflex tests can differentiate between alcoholic and diabetic nerve damages. In these carefully selected diabetic and alcoholic patients the medical history, clinical neurological assessment, and reflex test results all showed significant differences, resulting in different patterns which allow the correct allocation of nerve damage to either diabetic or alcoholic origin with easily available clinical means.

Alcohol-induced autonomic dysfunction: a systematic review

“…In males, erectile dysfunction appears to be a common feature affecting between 2-29% of chronic alcohol abusers [21,25,29,30]. The relationship between alcohol abuse and erectile dysfunction was explored in greater detail by Wetterling et al who found that there was increasing frequency of this symptom with increased alcohol consumption [31].…”

“…The relationship between alcohol abuse and erectile dysfunction was explored in greater detail by Wetterling et al who found that there was increasing frequency of this symptom with increased alcohol consumption [31]. The wide range of the reported prevalence of erectile dysfunction in alcohol abusers was in part due to the various lengths of time between alcohol withdrawal and the commencement of the study [30]. Whilst the frequency of erectile dysfunction in this patient cohort varies significantly between studies, it is consistently the most common symptom reported.…”