Peripheral Neuropathy as a Risk Factor for Developing Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetic Patients

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is prevalent in developing countries and is associated with many comorbidities, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we assessed and evaluated the association between DPN and CVD. Methods The study is a cross-sectional study that included DM patients who are attending DM primary care clinics. We evaluated each patient and collected epidemiological data, the physical examination findings, including cardiovascular status, and the presence of DPN. DPN was assessed with the neuropathic disability score (NDS), and it was considered present if the score was 5 or higher. The age and the levels of blood glucose, HbA1C, and plasma total cholesterol were recorded. Results The study included 116 DM, the mean age was 64.5 +/- 15 years (19 to 84 years) and the majority (61.2%) of the sample were male. The sample was divided into two groups: patients with DM only and patients with DM and CVD. The CVD group had a higher NDS score compared to the non-CVD group (P=0.006). The result indicated that for the CVD group, the prevalence of DPN was higher (50.8%) as compared to the non-CVD group (30.2%) (P=0.041). DPN was also associated with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (P = 0.013) but not heart failure (HF) (P=0.427). In addition, the HbA1C was significantly higher in patients with DPN (P=0.0345). Conclusion Our findings indicate that DPN was more prevalent in the CVD group and, in particular, in the group with ACS. The evidence provides support for the association between DPN and CVD.