title: Prevalence and clinical characteristics of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in hospital patients with Type 2 diabetes in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of this neuropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetic mellitus treated at hospitals in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires and medical records were used to collect data on 4000 patients with Type 2 diabetes from the diabetes clinics of 40 hospitals throughout Korea. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed based on a review of medical records or using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument score and monofilament test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of neuropathy was 33.5% (n = 1338). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, female sex, diabetes duration, lower glycated haemoglobin, treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin, presence of retinopathy, history of cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease, presence of hypertension or dyslipidaemia, and history of foot ulcer were independently associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Of the patients with neuropathy, 69.8% were treated for the condition and only 12.6% were aware of their neuropathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes in Korea and those patients were far more likely to have complications or co-morbidities. The proper management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy deserves attention from clinicians to ensure better management of diabetes in Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Centre, College of Medicine, Inje University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Cha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult