Specifically, the study concluded that maintaining a fasting blood glucose below 110 mg/dl prevented the onset and progression of these complications. 2Ī study by Ohkubo of type 2 diabetic patients found that controlling blood sugar levels with insulin injections delayed the onset of peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic nephropathy. This was found to result in a 60% reduction in the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy. In a comparison study of patients with type 1 diabetes, intensive blood sugar control yielded a median group hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) of 7.2%, compared to an HbA1C of 9.1% in a conventional therapy group. Blood sugar levels can be regulated through diet, exercise, and weight management, each of which affects the disease process and its subsequent complications. The most intuitive and cost effective answer to DPN is controlling blood sugar levels. Peripheral neuropathy is also associated with motor and autonomic neuropathy, which can lead to various types of foot deformities, and Charcot arthropathy, a devastating condition that causes gross joint malalignment and foot and ankle instability. The ulcers are often complicated by soft tissue infection or osteomyelitis, further impairing the patient’s functional status and adding to the financial burden. In addition to the potential pain, which can greatly alter quality of life, peripheral neuropathy is an independent risk factor for ulcer formation in diabetic patients.
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1 Neuropathic pain can have a substantial effect on the patient’s quality of life, and also imposes a significant financial burden. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) has been estimated to affect roughly half of all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus.
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What’s less widely known is that there is also evidence to support the use of nutritional supplements in the same patient population.īy David Shofler, DPM and Jonathan Labovitz, DPM, FACFAS Most practitioners are aware that controlling glucose levels through diet is one way to manage symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.