To evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of vibratory perception (V
PT) and thermal discrimination (TDT) thresholds on the foot in older a
d ults, we examined 20 50-76-year-old subjects with, and 19 without no
ninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Adjusted reference values for bo
th thresholds were obtained by assessing the relations with age, body
height, and sex among 216 subjects with normal glucose tolerance, of t
he same age, sampled randomly from a geographically defined general po
pulation. The VPT appeared to be more reproducible than the TDT (relia
bility coefficient 0.89 vs. 0.54). The reproducibility of the VPT was
inversely related to age and better for men than for women. Diabetes a
nd glycemic level did not affect the reproducibility of either thresho
ld. Both thresholds were related to age and height. Women had a higher
VPT than men. The relations between sex and sensory thresholds at the
lower limb, reported in previous studies, were probably confounded by
height. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.