Prevalence and clinical characteristics of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in hospital patients with Type 2 diabetes in Korea

Abstract

There was a high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes in Korea and those patients were far more likely to have complications or co-morbidities. The proper management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy deserves attention from clinicians to ensure better management of diabetes in Korea.

Current Status of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Korea: Report of a Hospital-Based Study of Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Korea by the Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group of the Korean Diabetes Association

“…According to findings of the Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group of the KDA, the actual prevalence of DPN is 33.5% ( n =1,338, study population=3,999) (Fig. 1) [11]. In the prior studies by that group, diagnostic criteria included the presence of documented DPN by quantitative sensory or nerve conduction studies, the presence of symptoms typically attributable to DPN after the exclusion of other causes of neuropathy, results from the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI, ≥3 score), and abnormal results on the 10 g monofilament test (2 out of 10).…”

“…A multivariate logistic regression analysis in patients with T2DM revealed that the clinical variables independently associated with DPN include older age, being female, a longer diabetes duration, lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, the presence of retinopathy, a history of cerebrovascular accident, or peripheral arterial disease, the presence of hypertension or dyslipidemia, treatment with an oral hypoglycemic agent or insulin, and a history of foot ulcers (Fig. 2) [11]. As expected, patients identified in this study with painful DPN were older, typically female, had a longer duration of diabetes, showed more prevalent insulin use, and exhibited a greater incidence of other microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, or both) and hypertension compared to patients with nonpainful DPN [13].…”

“…In 2009, the Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group of the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) conducted a hospital-based nationwide survey to investigate the impact of DPN on disease burden and QoL in patients with T2DM. This cross-sectional study was carried out with T2DM patients from the diabetic clinics of 40 hospitals throughout Korea as has been described in previous reports, some of which have already been published [11-13]. In this review, we describe the prevalence and clinical implications of DPN in T2DM outpatients in Korea.…”

Epidemiology of Diabetes and Diabetes Complications in the Elderly: An Emerging Public Health Burden

“…For older patients with diabetes duration greater than 25 years, about half have comorbid DPN and this can be associated with functional impairment and decreased quality of life (22). Factors associated with increased risk of DPN among the elderly with diabetes include female sex, longer duration of diabetes, retinopathy, stroke, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and a history of foot ulcers (23). …”

Comparison of clinical effectiveness of laser acupuncture and amitriptyline in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN): a sham controlled randomized clinical trial

“…This problem is associated with a number of elements that include axonal atrophy, demyelination, blunted regenerative potential, and loss of peripheral nerve fibers (4) . Some of the risk factors associated with diabetic neuropathy are age, female sex, diabetes duration, lower glycated haemoglobin, treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin, presence of retinopathy, history of cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease, presence of hypertension or dyslipidaemia, and history of foot ulcer (5) .…”