DIABETIC NEUROPATHY - PREVALENCE, CONCORDANCE BETWEEN CLINICAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL TESTING AND IMPACT OF RISK-FACTORS

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 electroneurologica l 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% resp ectively), In 32.24% of patients nerve conduction velocity (NCV) abnor malities were present together with clinical signs or symptoms of neur opathy, while 12.68% presented only signs and/or symptoms, In addition 9.36% of patients showed alterations of NCV in the absence of clinica l signs or symptoms of neuropathy, The most frequent form was asymptom atic (30.21%), followed by symptomatic neuropathy (12.83%); rare was t he severe neuropathy. Relative risk increased for diabetes duration >2 0 years (p<0.0001). In conclusion: 1) the Saint Antonio Consensus Conf erence criteria can be considered the most complete test for neuropath y diagnosis; 2) NCV alterations may not be concordant with signs - sym ptoms of neuropathy; 3) the duration of diabetes seems to be the most important risk factor.