Table 1. Prevalence of subjective symptoms and diminished Achilles tendon reflex in 593 diabetic patients by sex, age, duration, diabetic retinopathy and HbA1c.
| Sex | Age (years) | Duration (years) | Diabetic retinopathy | HbA1c | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female n = 221 (%) | Male n = 372 (%) | 20–49 n = 166 (%) | 50–59 n = 218 (%) | 60– n = 209 (%) | 0–5 n = 128 (%) | 6–14 n = 164 (%) | 15– n = 172 (%) | No n = 205 (%) | Simple n = 73 (%) | Prepro‐proliferative n = 182 (%) | <6.9 n = 42 (%) | 6.9–8.3 n = 120 (%) | 8.4– n = 285 (%) | |
| Subjective symptoms | ||||||||||||||
| Numbness in toe and sole | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 163 (73.8) | 239 (64.2) | 114 (68.7) | 150 (68.8) | 138 (66.0) | 96 (75.0) | 118 (72.0) | 105 (61.0) | 151 (73.7) | 50 (68.5) | 112 (61.5) | 31 (73.8) | 79 (65.8) | 201 (70.5) |
| Unilateral | 6 (2.7) | 20 (5.4) | 8 (4.8) | 7 (3.2) | 11 (5.3) | 2 (1.6) | 10 (6.1) | 10 (5.8) | 8 (3.9) | 4 (5.5) | 7 (3.8) | 0 (0) | 6 (5.0) | 14 (4.9) |
| Bilateral | 52 (23.5) | 114 (30.4) | 44 (26.5) | 61 (28.0) | 60 (28.7) | 30 (23.4) | 36 (21.9) | 57 (33.2)* | 46 (22.4) | 19 (26.0) | 63 (34.6)* | 11 (26.2) | 35 (29.2) | 70 (24.6) |
| Paresthesia in toe and sole | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 188 (85.1) | 292 (78.5) | 141 (84.9) | 169 (77.5) | 170 (81.3) | 114 (89.0) | 132 (80.5) | 124 (72.1) | 181 (88.3) | 56 (76.7) | 130 (71.4) | 34 (81.0) | 84/(70.0) | 236 (82.8) |
| Unilateral | 7 (3.20) | 6 (1.6) | 2 (1.2) | 9 (4.1) | 2 (1.0) | 2 (1.6) | 7 (4.3) | 4 (2.3) | 3 (1.5) | 2 (2.7) | 5 (2.7) | 1 (2.4) | 6 (5.0) | 6 (2.1) |
| Bilateral | 26 (11.8) | 74 (19.9)# | 23 (13.9) | 40 (18.4) | 37 (17.7) | 12 (9.4) | 25 (15.2) | 44 (25.6)*** | 21 (10.2) | 15 (20.6) | 47 (25.8)*** | 7 (16.6) | 30 (25.0) | 43 (15.1) |
| Numbness in hand | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 182 (82.4) | 312 (83.9) | 149 (88.0) | 178 (81.5) | 170 (81.3) | 110 (85.9) | 137 (83.5) | 136 (79.0) | 169 (82.4) | 61 (83.6) | 151 (83.0) | 38 (90.5) | 92 (76.7) | 239 (83.9) |
| Unilateral | 10 (4.5) | 19 (5.1) | 4 (2.4) | 13 (6.0) | 12 (5.7) | 6 (4.7) | 9 (5.5) | 12 (7.0) | 12 (5.9) | 4 (5.5) | 9 (4.9) | 0 (0) | 12 (10.0) | 12 (4.2)* |
| Bilateral | 29 (13.1) | 41 (11.0) | 16 (9.6) | 27 (12.4) | 27 (12.9) | 12 (9.4) | 18 (11.0) | 24 (14.0) | 24 (11.7) | 8 (11.0) | 22 (12.1) | 4 (9.5) | 16 (13.3) | 34/(11.9) |
| Pain in foot | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 134 (87.8) | 331 (83.6) | 147 (88.5) | 181 (83.0) | 177 (84.7) | 113 (88.3) | 142 (86.6) | 136 (79.1) | 172 (83.9) | 67 (91.8) | 147 (80.8) | 35 (83.3) | 102 (85.0) | 244 (85.6) |
| Unilateral | 4 (1.8) | 9 (2.4) | 4 (2.4) | 4 (1.8) | 5 (2.4) | 3 (2.3) | 5 (3.0) | 3 (1.7) | 6 (2.9) | 2 (2.7) | 3 (1.6) | 1 (2.4) | 2 (1.7) | 7 (2.5) |
| Bilateral | 23 (10.4) | 52 (14.0) | 15 (9.0) | 33 (15.1) | 27 (12.9) | 12 (9.4) | 17 (10.4) | 33 (19.2)* | 27 (13.2) | 4 (5.5) | 32 (17.6)* | 6 (14.3) | 16 (13.3) | 34 (11.9) |
| Pain in hand | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 216 (97.8) | 355 (65.4) | 164 (98.8) | 206 (94.5) | 201 (96.2) | 124 (96.9) | 159 (87.0) | 163 (94.8) | 197 (96.1) | 68 (93.2) | 177/182 (97.3) | 41 (97.6) | 111 (92.5) | 279 (97.9) |
| Unilateral | 3 (1.4) | 4 (1.1) | 0 (0) | 4 (1.8) | 3 (1.4) | 1 (0.8) | 2 (1.2) | 3 (3.5) | 4 (2.0) | 2 (2.7) | 0/182 (0) | 0 (0) | 4 (3.3) | 1 (0.4)* |
| Bilateral | 2 (0.9) | 13 (3.5) | 2 (1.2) | 8 (3.7) | 5 (2.4) | 3 (2.3) | 3 (1.8) | 6 (3.5) | 4 (2.0) | 3 (4.1) | 5/182 (2.8) | 1 (2.4) | 5 (4.2) | 5 (1.8) |
| Coldness in legs | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 51/81 (63.0) | 68/95 (71.6) | 29/46 (63.0) | 45/62 (72.6) | 45/68 (66.2) | 33/42 (78.6) | 27/42 (64.3) | 29/49 (59.2) | 47/63 (74.6) | 14/23 (60.9) | 26/43 (60.5) | 7/7 (100.0) | 16/24 (66.7) | 63/95 (66.3) |
| Symptomatic | 30/81 (37.0) | 27/95 (28.4) | 17/46 (37.0) | 17/62 (27.4) | 23/68 (33.8) | 9/42 (21.4) | 15/42 (35.7) | 20/49 (40.8) | 16/63 (25.4) | 9/23 (39.1) | 17/43 (39.5) | 0/7 (0) | 8/24 (33.3) | 32/95 (33.3) |
| Painful leg cramp | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 147/207 (71.0) | 256/347 (73.8) | 122/157 (77.7) | 151/204 (74.0) | 130/193 (67.4) | 88/125 (70.4) | 117/147 (79.6) | 98/154 (63.6) | 138/194 (71.1) | 45/64 (70.3) | 121/164 (73.8) | 27/36 (75.0) | 76/108 (70.4) | 189/265 (71.1) |
| Symptomatic | 60/207 (29.0) | 91/347 (26.2) | 35/157 (22.3) | 53/204 (26.0) | 63/193 (32.6) | 37/125 (29.6) | 30/147 (20.4) | 66/154 (36.4)** | 56/194 (28.9) | 19/64 (29.7) | 43/164 (26.2) | 9/36 (25.0) | 32/108 (29.6) | 76/265 (28.9) |
| Dizziness on standing | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 166 (75.1) | 281/366 (76.8) | 122 (73.5) | 166/216 (76.9) | 159/205 (77.6) | 100/127 (78.7) | 129/162 (79.6) | 126/170 (74.1) | 159/205 (77.6) | 58/71 (81.7) | 135/179 (75.4) | 30/41 (73.2) | 94/119 (79.0) | 214/282 (75.9) |
| Symptomatic | 55 (24.9) | 85/366 (23.2) | 44 (26.5) | 50/216 (23.1) | 46/205 (22.4) | 27/127 (21.3) | 33/162 (20.4) | 44/170 (25.9) | 46/205 (22.4) | 13/71 (18.3) | 44/179 (24.6) | 11/41 (26.8) | 25/119 (21.0) | 68/282 (24.1) |
| Sweating restricted to face/trunk | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 175/220 (79.5) | 289/366 (79.0) | 134 (80.7) | 166/215 (77.2) | 164/205 (80.0) | 108 (84.4) | 136/162 (83.0) | 123/168 (73.2) | 173/204 (84.8) | 58/71 (81.7) | 134/179 (74.9) | 35 (83.3) | 90/118 (76.3) | 230/281 (81.9) |
| Symptomatic | 45/220 (20.5) | 77/366 (21.0) | 30 (19.3) | 49/215 (22.8) | 41/205 (20.0) | 20 (15.6) | 26/162 (16.6) | 45/168 (26.8)* | 31/204 (15.2) | 13/71 (18.3) | 45/179 (25.1)* | 7 (16.7) | 28/118 (23.7) | 51/281 (18.1) |
| Frequent constipation/diarrhea | ||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 199/220 (90.5) | 319/366 (87.2) | 140 (84.3) | 196/215 (91.2) | 182/205 (88.8) | 120 (93.8) | 145/162 (89.5) | 144/168 (85.7) | 188/204 (92.2) | 65/71 (91.5) | 153/179 (85.5) | 37 (88.1) | 105/118 (89.0) | 253/281 (90.0) |
| Symptomatic | 21/220 (3.6) | 47/366 (12.8) | 26 (15.7) | 19/215 (8.8) | 23/205 (11.2) | 8 (6.3) | 17/162 (10.5) | 25/168 (14.3) | 16/204 (7.8) | 6/71 (8.5) | 26/179 (14.5) | 5 (11.9) | 13/118 (11.0) | 28/281 (10.0) |
| Objective nerve function test | ||||||||||||||
| Achilles tendon reflex | ||||||||||||||
| Normal | 67/210 (31.9) | 108/355 (30.4) | 70/161 (43.5) | 60/208 (28.8) | 45/196 (23.0) | 67/124 (54.0) | 40/157 (25.5) | 27/165 (16.4) | 95/197 (48.2) | 23/71 (32.4) | 21/176 (11.9) | 15/39 (38.5) | 29/118 (24.6) | 84/272 (30.9) |
| Unilaterally decreased | 2/210 (1.0) | 5/355 (1.4) | 1/161 (0.6) | 2/208 (1.0) | 4/196 (2.0) | 2/124 (1.6) | 1/157 (0.6) | 2/165 (1.2) | 3/197 (1.5) | 1/71 (1.4) | 1/176 (0.6) | 0/39 (0) | 0/118 (0) | 5/272 (1.8) |
| Bilaterally decreased | 141/210 (67.1) | 242/355 (68.2) | 90/161 (55.9) | 146/208 (70.2) | 147/196 (75.0)*** | 55/124 (44.4) | 116/157 (73.9) | 136/165 (82.4)*** | 99/197 (50.3) | 47/71 (66.2) | 154/176 (87.5)*** | 24/39 (61.5) | 88/118 (75.4) | 183/272 (67.3) |
Relationships between symptoms or Achilles tendon reflex and background data were evaluated. Unilateral and bilateral symptoms were separately analyzed. #P < 0.05 analyzed by chi‐squared test for 2 × 2 contingency table. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 analyzed by chi‐squared test for 2 × 3 contingency table. The value for HbA1c (%) was estimated as a NGSP equivalent value (%) calculated by the formula HbA1c (%) = HbA1c (JDS) (%) + 0.4%.