Diabetes Metab J.  2014 Feb;38(1):25-31. 10.4093/dmj.2014.38.1.25.

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

• Won JC
• Kim SS
• Ko KS
• Cha BY

• KMID: 2174181
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2014.38.1.25

Abstract

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication associated with diabetes. DPN can present as a loss of sensation, may lead to neuropathic ulcers, and is a leading cause of amputation. Reported estimates of the prevalence of DPN vary due to differences in study populations and diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of DPN in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are not as well understood as those of other complications of diabetes such as retinal and renal disease. Recently, the Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group of the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) conducted a study investigating the impact of DPN on disease burden and quality of life in patients with T2DM and has published some data that are representative of the nation. This review investigated the prevalence and associated clinical implications of DPN in Korean patients with diabetes based on the KDA study.

Keyword

Diabetes; Peripheral nervous system diseases; Prevalence; Quality of life

MeSH Terms

Amputation
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Diabetic Neuropathies*
Epidemiology
Humans
Korea*
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases*
Prevalence
Quality of Life
Retinaldehyde
Sensation
Ulcer
Retinaldehyde

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) (n=3,999).

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  Fig. 2 Odds ratios (ORs) of factors associated with the presence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy according to a logistic-regression analysis. Standardized ORs (95% confidence intervals) are expressed per standard deviation increase for each continuous variable. ORs for categorical variables have a reference group without the respective factor. OHA, oral hypoglycemic agents; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; CVD, cardiovascular disease; CVA, cerebrovascular accident; PAD, peripheral arterial disease. aP<0.05 vs. control, bHbA1c measurements in International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (mmol/mol) and Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (%) units. Adapted from Won JC, et al. Diabet Med 2012;29:e290-6, with permission from John Wiley and Sons [11].

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  Fig. 3 Pattern of medication for neuropathy in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (n=934). SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; SNRIs, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors; TCAs, tricyclic antidepressants.

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  Fig. 4 Mean value of measures related to the clinical impact of pain on (A) pain interference items using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, (B) the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale, and (C) the quality of life (QoL) in patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) (linear line) and nonpainful DPN (dotted line). (A) A 0 to 10 numeric rating scale was used for each item and was anchored at 0 (does not interfere) and 10 (completely interferes). (B) Item responses were assigned scores using conventional rules where higher scores indicate a greater severity of sleep disturbance (range, 0 to 100). (C) Data are expressed as percentages of respondents reporting more than some problems or greater (score of 2 or 3). Each question had three levels: no problem, score of 1; some problems, score of 2; and severe problems, score of 3. (A-C) P<0.01 for all items between painful DPN and nonpainful DPN. Adapted from Kim SS, et al. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. Forthcoming 2014, with permission from Elsevier [13].

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