Prevalence and Risk Factor Profile of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Hospital Based Case–Control Study

Abstract

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) stands as the main microvascular complication among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) yet its diagnosis typically happens after nerve damage becomes irreversible. Research data from India shows varied information about the burden and risk factors which can be modified to manage diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Methods: The purpose of this single-centre case-control investigation at a hospital (January 2023 - June 2024) was to enroll 200 T2DM participants comprising 100 DPN-confirmed cases and 100 DPN-free controls who shared identical age groups. The study excluded pregnant patients along with those whose neuropathy resulted from alternative conditions (hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, HIV, alcohol misuse), drug-related neuropathy and voluntary consent refusal. A structured proforma was used to log demographic and clinical and biochemical information. The Toronto consensus criteria served to determine the diagnosis of DPN. The researchers used Epi Info v7 for statistical analysis through t and χ² tests and set the significant threshold at p < 0.05. Results: Participants consisted of 50% males among the 55.5 ± 11.2 year old sample members. The research revealed DPN affects 44.9 % of all consecutive outpatients selected for screening. The duration of diabetes was longer for patients with DPN at 11.1 ± 7.2 versus 7.4 ± 3.2 years together with elevated rates of hypertension at 71 % vs 16 % and smoking at 38 % vs 18 %. The recorded mean systolic/diastolic pressure measurements were 145.5/90.6 mmHg for cases but 125.9/80.7 mmHg for controls (the comparison yielded p < 0.001). The post-meal glucose levels (250 ± 81.5 mg/dL) along with HbA1c (7.6 ± 0.7 %) showed significant differences between the affected and unaffected patients. Dyslipidemia existed at more severe levels in patients with DPN as they presented with cholesterol levels of 211 ± 47 mg/dL alongside triglycerides at 161 ± 26 mg/dL when compared to levels of 147 ± 24 mg/dL cholesterol and 118 ± 17 mg/dL triglycerides (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). The presence of micro vascular complications with diabetic peripheral neuropathy included retinopathy (55 % vs 9 %) and nephropathy (52 % vs 6 %) with both p values under 0.001. Conclusion: DPN affected approximately half of the adults within this tertiary care population which had T2DM. The main risk factors for developing DPN included both the length of time someone had the disease and uncontrolled blood sugars and blood pressure along with smoking habits and abnormal lipid levels. Strategic screening methods implemented with rapid management of cardiometabolic risk elements offer potential to reduce neuropathy cases while blocking the development of serious foot complications.