Specified Influence of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy on Quality of Life in Egyptian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: There is a lack of data in discrimination of different aspects of quality of life impairment in Egyptian patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Objective: To assess the influence of PDN on different aspects of life quality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study that included 125 patients with T2D (100 with PDN and 25 without) during the period from December 2018 to May 2019. All patients were subjected to history, examination with modified Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS), neuropathy symptom score (NSS), visual analogue pain score (VAS), nerve conduction study for (peroneal, sural and ulnar nerves) bilaterally and Norfolk Quality of Life QuestionnaireDiabetic Neuropathy (Norfolk QOL-DN) and lab. Other neuropathy causes were excluded. Results: PDN patients have longer duration of T2D. Norfolk QOL-DN showed a significant deterioration of the activity of daily life (ADL) and general health status in PDN patients. We found a significant positive correlation between the NSS, VAS, NDS, superficial pain sensation, and the duration of T2D with the effects on ADL and health status in the case group. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between insulin therapy, HbA1c, electrical sensation, NSS, VAS, NDS and the duration of T2D with axonal neuropathy. The NDS was the only independent predictor of ADL and health status impairment. Axonal neuropathy was independently determined by NDS, electrical sensation and insulin therapy. Conclusion: PDN impaired the activity of daily life and health status of patients with T2D. The NDS independently could predict axonal neuropathy, ADL and health status impairment.