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
Review
. 2021 Apr;38(2):177-183.
doi: 10.5114/ada.2019.89712. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Itch in diabetes: a common underestimated problem

Aleksandra A Stefaniak  1 , Iwona Chlebicka  1 , Jacek C Szepietowski  1
Affiliations
Review

Itch in diabetes: a common underestimated problem

Aleksandra A Stefaniak et al. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is associated with several skin manifestations, however the association with itch remains unclear.

Aim: To present a detailed literature review in order to analyse the frequency, pathogenesis, and course of itch in diabetes mellitus.

Material and methods: Data were collected from the PubMed and Cochrane databases. Articles were excluded if the populations presented with comorbidities or received treatment with drugs affecting the skin. Also, animal studies, studies with poor methodology and pilot studies were excluded.

Results: Among the 5 original articles included, the epidemiology of itch in diabetes varies from 18.4% to 27.5%. Two main factors are associated with the pathogenesis of itch in diabetes, namely skin xerosis and diabetic polyneuropathy. It is still poorly defined how glycaemic control is associated with generalized itch. No treatment of choice is available; however, topical therapy (emollients) provides significant relief in varying percentages of patients.

Conclusions: The results indicate a benefit of diabetes screening in individuals presenting with chronic itch without primary skin lesions.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus; itch; pruritus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Literature selection process according to PRISMA guidelines
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cho NH, Shaw JE, Karuranga S, et al. . IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global estimates of diabetes prevalence for 2017 and projections for 2045. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2018; 138: 271-81. - PubMed
    1. Araszkiewicz A, Bandurska-Stankiewicz E, Budzyński A, et al. . 2019 Guidelines on the management of diabetic patients. A position of Diabetes Poland. Clin Diabetol 2019; 8: 1-95.
    1. Bruno G, Runzo C, Cavallo-Perin P, et al. . Incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults aged 30-49 years: the population-based registry in the province of Turin, Italy. Diabetes Care 2005; 28: 2613-9. - PubMed
    1. Ezzati M, Hoorn SV, Lopez AD, et al. . Comparative Quantification of Mortality and Burden of Disease Attributable to Selected Risk Factors. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 2006. - PubMed
    1. Singh N, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Preventing foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. JAMA 2005; 293: 217. - PubMed