Emcure_Diabetes Matters express_20pages

8
diabetes
Pins & Needles:
Are You At Risk
For Peripheral
Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is nerve
damage caused by chronically high
blood sugar and diabetes. Despite
many recent advances in diabetes
treatment, neuropathy remains
common. According to A Position
Statement by the American Diabetes
Association as published in ‘Diabetes
Care’, approximately 50% of people
with type 2 diabetes and 20% of those
with type 1 diabetes develop this kind
of nerve damage. Diabetes-related
nerve damage worsens with age and
with advancing diabetes. According
to research published in the journal
‘Diabetologia’, about one in three
people with type 1 diabetes had signs
of diabetic neuropathy 25 years after
their diabetes. According to a 2014
University of Michigan review in the
journal ‘Current Diabetes Reports’,
half of those with type 2 diabetes
have neuropathy ten years after their
diagnosis. According to the American
Diabetes Association, 10-20% of
people with prediabetes have signs of
diabetic neuropathy.
DPN can cause burning, stabbing
or electric-shock-like pain or tingling
in your feet, legs, hands or arms. The
pain may be worse at night.
According to a 2017 review in
the ‘Journal of Diabetes Research’,
metabolic changes associated with
diabetes and related health problems
may damage nerve cells by boosting
levels of rogue oxygen molecules
called free radicals that attack
the DNA inside cells, by zapping
antioxidant compounds that normally
protect cells from free radicals and
by increasing inflammation. Diabetic
Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) can
create disastrous and even lifethreatening
problems like foot ulcers,
amputations, heart attacks, digestion
problems and difficulty recognising
low blood sugar episodes. Despite the
complications it can cause, knowing
its risk factors and taking precautions
can go a long way.
Risk factors
• Obesity & hypertriglyceridemia:
According to 2013 research
published in the ‘Journal of
Diabetes and its Complications’,
obesity and hypertriglyceridemia
significantly increase risk
for peripheral neuropathy,
independent of glucose control.
• Smoking: Says a 2015 study
published in the ‘Journal of
Internal Medicine’, smoking may
be associated with an increased
risk of DPN in people with
diabetes. Smoking restricts blood
flow to the nerve cells. It also has
an adverse effect on your blood
sugar levels, which can lead to the
development of diabetes. Adds
a 2015 Harvard Medical School
review of 38 studies on tobacco
use and diabetic peripheral
neuropathy that included more
than 5,000 people, smoking
increased DPN risk by as much
as 42%.
• Hypertension: Says a 2010
study by the University of
Birmingham, “Hypertension is
strongly associated with diabetic
neuropathy and the observed
sensory loss may be aggravated
by hypertension-induced nerve
ischaemia and hypoxia.”
• High levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol:
In a 2015 study published in the
journal ‘Medicine’ that looked at
more than 37,000 people with type
2 diabetes for up to nine years,
researchers found that low levels
of “good” HDL cholesterol and
high levels of heart-threatening
LDLs also boosted risk for diabetic
peripheral neuropathy by up to
67%.
• Inability to control blood sugar:
Says ‘Diabetic Neuropathy:
A Position Statement by the
American Diabetes Association as
carried in ‘Diabetes Care’, 2017,
“For people with type 1 diabetes,
tight glucose control can cut risk
for DPN by 78%; for those with
type 2, it may reduce risk 5-9%.”
Diabetic Neuropathy
Symptoms
• Numbness, tingling, or pain in the
toes, feet, legs, hands, arms, and
fingers
• Indigestion, nausea, or vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Dizziness or faintness due to a
drop in blood pressure, especially
when suddenly getting up to stand
• Problems with urination
• Erectile dysfunction or vaginal
dryness.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Treatment
– Over-the-counter pain medication
for mild pain. Regular use of
prescription drugs for peripheral
neuropathy
– Keep blood sugar levels in normal
range
– Get regular exercise
– Maintain a healthy weight
– Take foot care seriously; inspect
your feet daily for injuries
– Wear special therapeutic shoes.
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