| Affiliation: | 1. Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar;2. National Diabetes Center, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar National Diabetes Center, Al-Wakra Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar;3. National Diabetes Center, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar;4. Umm Ghuwailina Primary Health Care, Umm Ghuwailina, Qatar;5. Al Khor Primary Health Care, Al Khor, Qatar;6. Al Daayen Primary Health Care, Al Daayen, Qatar;7. Al Rayyan Primary Health Care, Al Rayyan, Qatar;8. National Diabetes Center, Al-Wakra Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar;9. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK |
| Abstract: | Aims/IntroductionThis study determined the prevalence and risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and painful DPN (pDPN) in patients with type 2 diabetes in primary healthcare (PHC) and secondary healthcare (SHC) in Qatar.Materials and MethodsThis was a cross‐sectional multicenter study. Adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly enrolled from four PHC centers and two diabetes centers in SHC in Qatar. Participants underwent assessment of clinical and metabolic parameters, DPN and pDPN.ResultsA total of 1,386 individuals with type 2 diabetes (297 from PHC and 1,089 from SHC) were recruited. The prevalence of DPN (14.8% vs 23.9%, P = 0.001) and pDPN (18.1% vs 37.5%, P < 0.0001) was significantly lower in PHC compared with SHC, whereas those with DPN at high risk for diabetic foot ulceration (31.8% vs 40.0%, P = 0.3) was comparable. The prevalence of undiagnosed DPN (79.5% vs 82.3%, P = 0.66) was comparably high, but undiagnosed pDPN (24.1% vs 71.5%, P < 0.0001) was lower in PHC compared with SHC. The odds of DPN and pDPN increased with age and diabetes duration, and DPN increased with poor glycemic control, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, whereas pDPN increased with obesity and reduced physical activity.ConclusionsThe prevalence of DPN and pDPN in type 2 diabetes is lower in PHC compared with SHC, and is attributed to overall better control of risk factors and referral bias due to patients with poorly managed complications being referred to SHC. However, approximately 80% of patients had not been previously diagnosed with DPN in PHC and SHC. Furthermore, we identified a number of modifiable risk factors for PDN and pDPN. |
