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Diabetic polyneuropathy
Over time, elevated blood glucose levels can damage both the autonomic and the somatic nerves. The most common form of nerve damage is distal, that is peripheral sensorimotor polyneuropathy that increases the risk of developing diabetic foot syndrome.
Key messages
- 13.5 % of adults with diabetes have documented diabetic polyneuropathy.
- The proportion of people with diabetes and documented diabetic polyneuropathy increases with age and peaks in the 70- to- 79-year age group.
trend
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cross-section
By state
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By gender
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By age
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By education group
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Results
In 2013, 13.5% of adults with diabetes had documented diabetic polyneuropathy (women: 12.7%; men: 14.4%). This figure increases with age and peaks at 15.8% in the 70- to- 79-year age group (women: 14.7%; men 17.1%).
Conclusion
Differences in documentation and diagnosis standards make comparisons between different studies and data sources difficult. According to DMP data for type 2 diabetes in North Rhine-Westphalia, the proportion of people with diabetic neuropathy is significantly higher (Zi, 2019) than in the analysis of DaTraV data presented here. Differences are particularly evident in the higher age groups, where the analysis of DaTraV data may have underestimated the proportion. Most other studies also indicate a larger proportion of people with polyneuropathy (Böhler et al., 2006, Sämann et al., 2008, Ziegler et al., 2015). To increase comparability, simplified and practicable recommendations and diagnosis standards are urgently needed. In 2011, it became mandatory for doctors to document diabetic foot syndrome when prescribing podiatric treatments (GKV Spitzenverband, 2011). This may have contributed to a rise in the documentation of polyneuropathy.