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Prevalence and forms of neuropathic morbidity in 800 diabetics

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Abstract

We prospectively determined the prevalence of morbidity from the various forms of diabetic neuropathy over one year in a population of 800 patients with diabetes mellitus (336 type 1, 464 type 2 DM). Symptoms documented were: pain/paraesthesia in the feet, loss of feeling and the restless legs syndrome. We also documented the prevalence of: neuropathic ulcers, amyotrophy, foot drop, and oculomotor palsy. Autonomic symptoms documented were: impotence, postural hypotension and diarrhoea. The only symptoms reported by 100 non-diabetic control subjects were: loss of feeling in 2% and restless legs syndrome in 7%. In the diabetics; pain/paraesthesia was present in 13%, feeling loss in 7% and neuropathic ulcers in 2%. The prevalence of Diabetic amyotrophy (proximal femoral neuropathy) was 0.8%, oculomotor palsy 0.1% and peroneal nerve palsy 0.1%. Erectile impotence was present in 20%, symptomatic postural hypotension in 1% and diabetic diarrhoea in 1%. Overall; 22.9% of the population was afflicted by one or more problems resulting from neuropathy. Neuropathy was associated with older age (p < 0.001), and serious retinopathy (p < 0.001) in both groups of diabetics and with duration of diabetes, proteinuria (p < 0.02), hypertension (p < 0.01) and ischaemic heart disease (p < 0.02) in type 1 diabetics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine/Endocrinology, Limerick Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Limerick

    J. A. O’Hare, F. Abuaisha & M. Geoghegan

  2. University College Cork, Ireland

    J. A. O’Hare

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  1. J. A. O’Hare
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  2. F. Abuaisha
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  3. M. Geoghegan
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O’Hare, J.A., Abuaisha, F. & Geoghegan, M. Prevalence and forms of neuropathic morbidity in 800 diabetics. I.J.M.S. 163, 132–135 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02965972

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