Physical activity and albuminuria were associated with painful diabetic polyneuropathy in type 2 diabetes in an ethnic Chinese population.
BACKGROUND
Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the prevalence of painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDPN) have been less studied. We examined the prevalence and risk factors of PDPN in outpatients with type 2 diabetes in an ethnic Chinese population.


METHODS
This retrospective study enrolled 2358 outpatients with type 2 diabetes who had completed the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) questionnaire from January 2013 to October 2013. Patients with a total score ≥4 were defined as having PDPN.


RESULTS
In all, 179 patients were diagnosed as having PDPN with a score of 4.49 on the DN4 questionnaire, compared with 0.66 for patients without PDPN. After adjusting the possible confounding factors, the risk of painful neuropathy was increased in the group without physical activity (Odds ratio 3.38, 95% CI 1.54-9.79), and in the group with macroalbuminuria (Odds ratio 2.31, 95% CI 1.44-3.73). Besides, there was a joint effect of macroalbuminuria and no physical activity habit on PDPN risk.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of PDPN was 7.6% among our outpatients with type 2 diabetes. Less physical activity and albuminuria, respectively, increased the risk of PDPN and had a joint effect.
Divisions of Internal Medicine, Sinying Hospital, Tainan 73042, Taiwan, ROC.
Sheng-Shu
SS
Chiang
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC.
Chia-Lin
CL
Lee
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC.
Hsiu-Chen
HC
Liu
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan, ROC.
Jun-Sing
JS
Wang
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan, ROC.
I-Te
IT
Lee
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC.
Yuh-Min
YM
Song
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, ROC.
Chia-Po
CP
Fu
Institute of Biostatistics, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, ROC.
Yu-Fen
YF
Li
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan, ROC; College of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan, ROC.
Wayne H-H
WH
Sheu
Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan, ROC; Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: sylin@vghtc.gov.tw.
Shih-Yi
SY
Lin
D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
Albuminuria; Diabetic neuropathy; Ethnic Chinese; Painful diabetic polyneuropathy; Physical activity