Constellation of Neurological Signs in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus of more than 5 Year

Abstract

 Objective: To identify the prevalence and related characteristics of peripheral neuropathy among diabetes mellitus patients
with over five years of duration.
Study Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study at the Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences in Muzaffarabad, Azad
Jammu and Kashmir.
Methodology: Non-probability consecutive sampling was used to select 266 patients with a diagnosis of either type 1 or
type 2 diabetes mellitus of a duration of greater than five years. Patients with a history of vitamin B12 deficiency,
cerebrovascular accident, or motor neuron disease were excluded. Sociodemographic data, clinical history, smoking, family
history of diabetes, and comorbidities data were obtained. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. Poststratification Chi-square test was used, and p= 0.05 was regarded as significant.
Results: The mean age of participants was 52.6 ± 10.8 years, with a mean diabetes duration of 9.4 ± 3.2 years and a mean
HbA1c of 8.6 ± 1.4%. Peripheral neuropathy was detected in 53.4% of patients. Significant associations were observed
with age =50 years (p = 0.012), rural residence (p = 0.042), illiteracy (p = 0.021), smoking (p = 0.011), hypertension (p =
0.034), diabetes duration =10 years (p < 0.001), and HbA1c =8% (p < 0.001). Gender and family history were not significantly
associated.
Conclusion: Long-term diabetes patients are very susceptible to peripheral neuropathy. Its burden should be mitigated by
implementing early screening and managing all risk factors, particularly those that are modifiable, i.e., glycaemic control,
hypertension, and smoking.