title: Diabetic neuropathy: prevalence, concordance between clinical and electrophysiological testing and impact of risk factors.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of various forms of diabetic neuropathy (DN), by clinical and electrophysiological tests, on 374 diabetic patients (66 with type 1 and 308 with type 2 diabetes mellitus) and the concordance between clinical and electroneurological alterations and relative risk factors impact. The overall prevalence of DN, according to the Saint Antonio Conference criteria, was 44.9% (28.88% somatic, 14.44% mixed and 1.60% autonomic) without statistical difference between type 2 and type 1 diabetes (46.43% and 37.88% respectively). In 32.24% of patients nerve conduction velocity (NCV) abnormalities were present together with clinical signs or symptoms of neuropathy, while 12.68% presented only signs and/or symptoms. In addition 9.36% of patients showed alterations of NCV in the absence of clinical signs or symptoms of neuropathy. The most frequent form was asymptomatic (30.21%), followed by symptomatic neuropathy (12.83%); rare was the severe neuropathy. Relative risk increased for diabetes duration > 20 years (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1) the Saint Antonio Consensus Conference criteria can be considered the most complete test for neuropathy diagnosis; 2) NCV alterations may not be concordant with signs-symptoms of neuropathy; 3) the duration of diabetes seems to be the most important risk factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sangiorgio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iemmolo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Le Moli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lunetta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors