Frequency of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common complications of poor glycemic control, which leads to clinical complications, increased morbidity, risk of amputation, and disability in diabetic patients. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, recruiting 202 diabetic patients with a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. The study was jointly approved by the Institutional Ethical Review Board (vide No. 77/ERB/024) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) through Ref: CPSP/REU/MED-2023-027-20704. The patients were assessed for the presence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) with the neuropathy symptom score (NSS) and neuropathy disability score (NDS). Results: The mean age of the studied participants was 51.7±12.67 years, duration of diabetes was 9.69±5.67 years, BMI was 25.83±4.63 kg/m², and the mean HbA1c level in the studied participants was 10.49±2.7%. The mean NSS score was 4.15 ±2.243 and the mean NDS score was 3.24 ±2.17. DPN was present in 52% of the studied participants. Residential area (p = 0.017), categories of diabetic history in years (p < 0.001), type of diabetes (type 1 versus type II, p = 0.040), presence of comorbidities (p = 0.004), and diabetic management with oral hypoglycemics or insulin injections (p < 0.001) reported significant differences on chi-square. A positive and significant linear association was reported for NSS with age (r = 0.198, p = 0.005), diabetic history (r = 0.475, p < 0.001), and HbA1c level (r = 0.483, p < 0.001). For the NDS, a positive significant association was reported for age (r = 0.314, p < 0.001$), diabetic history (r = 0.549, p < 0.001), and HbA1C% (r = 0.469, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is prevalent among half of diabetic patients. An increase in age, prolonged history of diabetes, and poor glycemic control is associated with a higher risk of DPN.