Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Mar 8;17(1):36-43.
doi: 10.51866/oa1297. eCollection 2022 Mar 28.

The proportion of undiagnosed diabetic peripheral neuropathy and its associated factors among patients with T2DM attending urban health clinics in Selangor

Ping Yein Lee  1 , Syahida Salim Hani  2 , Yee Gin Cheng  3 , Zunayrah Zainuddin  4 , Harvind Singh  5 , Kien Woon Loh  6
Affiliations

The proportion of undiagnosed diabetic peripheral neuropathy and its associated factors among patients with T2DM attending urban health clinics in Selangor

Ping Yein Lee et al. Malays Fam Physician. .

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN), the most common complication of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), is often under-diagnosed and inadequately treated. This study identified the proportion of undiagnosed DPN and its associated risk factors among patients with established type 2 DM (T2DM) in community health clinics in the Gombak district.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 community health clinics within the Gombak district between September and December 2017. Adults with T2DM were selected via systematic random sampling and screened using the Neuropathy Symptoms Score (NSS). Clinical records of participants' foot examinations were reviewed to identify positive findings of DPN and compared with the NSS.

Results: The study's sample comprised 425 patients. Most had co-morbidities, including hypertension, dyslipidaemia and pre-existing DM-related complications. About two-thirds of them performed no daily foot inspection and had no proper footwear. The proportion of patients with positive NSS was 49.4%. However, only 0.2% were diagnosed with positive DPN in their clinical foot examination record.

Conclusion: Although a positive NSS was identified in 1 out of 2 patients with established DM, only 0.2% of patients had DPN on their examination records. Most patients had never done daily foot inspections and lacked proper footwear. A positive NSS was associated with uncontrolled diabetes and lower BMI. Proper screening and examination for patients, especially those with uncontrolled diabetes and low BMI, is crucial in identifying DPN to ensure that these diabetic patients receive better preventative care, especially proper foot care and strict diabetic control, to prevent DPN-related complications.

Keywords: Diabetes; Diabetic Polyneuropathy; Malaysia; Neuropathic Symptoms Score.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia. National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. May 30, 2020. [ June 10; 2020 ]. https://iku.moh.gov.my/nhms-2019
    1. International Diabetes Federation. Diabetes in Malaysia. May 14, 2020. [ June 10; 2020 ]. https://www.idf.org/our-network/regions-members/western-pacific/members/...
    1. Ismail A, Suddin LS, Sulong S, Ahmed Z, Kamaruddin NA, Sukor N. Economic burden of managing Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Analysis from a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia. Indian J Public Health. 2017;61(4):243–247. doi: 10.4103/ijph.IJPH_24_16. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chandran A., Abdullah M.N., Abdul F. National diabetes registry report 2013-2019. Nov, 2020. [ February 25; 2020 ]. https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/Penerbitan/Rujukan/NCD/Diabetes/Nat...
    1. Iqbal Z, Azmi S, Yadav R, et al. Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Pharmacotherapy. Clin Ther. 2018;40(6):828–849. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.04.001. - DOI - PubMed