HYPERGLYCEMIA AS A MAJOR DETERMINANT OF DISTAL POLYNEUROPATHY INDEPENDENT OF AGE AND DIABETES DURATION IN PATIENTS WITH RECENTLY DIAGNOSED DIABETES

In an attempt to identify the potential risk factors for diabetic neur opathy in patients recently diagnosed as diabetics, 742 non-insulin-de pendent diabetics under 70 years of age who had been diagnosed as diab etics less than 5 years before the initial visit were examined in a cr oss-sectional study conducted at a university hospital. Neuropathy was defined as the presence of symptoms consistent with distal polyneurop athy, or the absence of tendon reflexes. Of the patients, 21% displaye d neuropathy in this study, with no differences between the genders. A ge was higher, duration of diabetes was longer, body mass index was lo wer, and fasting plasma glucose level was higher in patients with neur opathy than in those without neuropathy, for both genders. Body height , maximal body mass index, ethanol use, smoking status, systolic and d iastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol level did not differ bet ween the two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that fasting plasma glucose level (chi(2) = 28.2) was a major determinant for neuro pathy independent of diabetes duration (9.5), age (6.2) and maximal bo dy mass index (3.9). Tight glycemic control from the onset of diabetes was concluded to be essential for the prevention of diabetic distal p olyneuropathy.