Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a major public health problem because of its high prevalence and progressive increase of incidence. DM chronic complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality, among which diabetic neuropathy (DN) stands out, affecting 30% - 50% of DM patients. An appropriate medical approach, involving anamnesis and thorough clinical examination, is extremely important for the early diagnosis of DN and, therefore, to the prevention of its complications, including the amputation of limbs. Despite of the importance of DN prevention and treatment, in order to provide improved quality of life and longevity to DM patients, current therapeutic options are very limited with respect to both symptom control and as effective disease therapies. Intensive glucose control is extremely important in order to prevent and avoid the progression of DN, as demonstrated in two large multicenter studies involving patients with type 1 DM, the DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) and the EDIC (Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications).
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent disease with a major impact on the quality of life of patients, mainly, because of several complications, both acute and chronic
DM can lead to complications associated with microvascular and macrovascular alterations, as well as with neuropathies
diabetic neuropathy (DN) is the most prevalent complication of diabetes, affecting 30% - 50% of patients, the majority corresponding to diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent disease with a major impact on the quality of life of patients, mainly, because of several complications, both acute and chronic. Given the relevance of the subject, this work aimed at performing a literature review on one of the major complications of diabetes: peripheral. Emphasis was placed on studies addressing the pathophysiology and diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, in order to provide health professionals with the information they need to prevent and treat it, improving the quality of life and the autonomy in routine activities of patients with diabetes. DM represents a group of metabolic diseases of different etiologies, characterized by hyperglycemia, which can result from deficient insulin secretion by the pancreas beta cells (β), peripheral resistance to insulin action, or both. DM can be considered an ongoing epidemic, as the global estimate of the number of affected adults in 1985 was 30 million, increasing to about 135 million in 1995, and an estimate of 300 million in 2030 [2]
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