Clinical evaluation of painful diabetes peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes patients: Lessons from expatriates in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

BackgroundThe high prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in the United Arab Emirates makes it imperative to screen and manage diabetes peripheral neuropathy (DPN) as a priority. Considering the high number of expats from different ethnicity a more thorough approach is necessary. Unfortunately, there are very few studies addressing this issue. MethodsThe study uses the chi-square test to investigate the dependence of the progression of DNP on ethnic origin. The study uses Pearson Correlation to find the association between three prevalent scales used for the measurement of painful diabetes peripheral neuropathy. Student t-test was used further to investigate the significance of the association. ResultsWith a p-value (0.004) and p-value (0.015), the study concludes that DPN risk is dependent on the ethnic origin of the residents. The study further found that there is a significant association between three scales for measuring painful diabetes peripheral neuropathy (pDNP), Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions (DN4), Neurological Symptoms Score (NSS), and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANNS). The p-value for all pairwise comparisons for the strength of association between scales was found significant at the level of significance 0.05. ConclusionThe study concludes that the risk of DNP is high in Arab-origin residents in UAE and the reasons behind the finding need to be empirically tested to customize its management. The study further finds a significant association between the score of the three scales used for measuring pDNP.