Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the study population according to the presence or absence of DPN.
| Variables | Study group | Neuropathy according to NDS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-DPN | DPN | P-value* | ||
| N (%) | 523 | 413 | 110 | |
| Age (years) | 49.4 ± 11.8 | 48.1 ± 11.4 | 54.4 ± 11.9 | < 0.0001 |
| Male, n (%) | 385 (73.6) | 298 (72.2) | 87 (79.1) | 0.14244 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.2 ± 4.7 | 24.3 ± 4.6 | 23.9 ± 4.9 | 0.51624 |
| Diabetes duration (years) | 4.4 ± 3.6 | 3.4 ± 2.9 | 8.3 ± 3.5 | < 0.0001 |
| Smoking, n (%) | 101 (19.3) | 72 (17.4) | 29 (26.4) | 0.03499 |
| Alcohol consumption, n (%) | 46 (8.8) | 31 (7.5) | 15 (13.6) | 0.04367 |
| Physical activity, n (%) | 267 (51.1) | 215 (52.1) | 52 (47.3) | 0.37228 |
| Retinopathy, n (%) | 51 (9.8) | 23 (5.6) | 28 (25.5) | < 0.0001 |
| DNS ≥ 1, n (%) | 225 (43.0) | 166 (40.2) | 59 (53.6) | 0.01139 |
| NDS | 1.6 ± 2.7 | 0.3 ± 1.1 | 6.5 ± 0.9 | < 0.0001 |
| NDS ≥ 6, n (%) | 110 (21.0) | |||
| VPT (volts) | 13.7 ± 6.3 | 12.2 ± 4.2 | 19.4 ± 9.2 | < 0.0001 |
| VPT > 15 volts, n (%) | 119 (22.8) | 40 (9.7) | 79 (71.8) | < 0.0001 |
| Foot deformities, n (%) | 8 (1.5) | 1 (0.2) | 7 (6.4) | < 0.0001 |
| Loss of hair, n (%) | 65 (12.4) | 44 (10.7) | 21 (19.1) | 0.01715 |
| Dry skin, n (%) | 54 (10.3) | 37 (9.0) | 17 (15.5) | 0.04664 |
| Corn or callous, n (%) | 27 (5.2) | 22 (5.3) | 5 (4.5) | 0.74205 |
| HbA1c (%) | 7.9 ± 1.6 | 7.7 ± 1.4 | 8.8 ± 1.9 | < 0.0001 |
| FPG (mg/dl) | 176.7 ± 61.5 | 174.8 ± 60.0 | 184.1 ± 66.7 | 0.15851 |
| PPG (mg/dl) | 247.7 ± 84.5 | 246.7 ± 82.7 | 251.5 ± 91.1 | 0.60134 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 191.3 ± 47.6 | 190.2 ± 47.4 | 195.7 ± 48.6 | 0.28214 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 142.4 ± 103.2 | 139.8 ± 102.9 | 152.2 ± 104.4 | 0.26226 |
| HDL (mg/dl) | 43.2 ± 9.2 | 43.1 ± 9.1 | 43.7 ± 9.4 | 0.54385 |
| LDL (mg/dl) | 99.4 ± 33.8 | 97.6 ± 33.3 | 106.3 ± 34.9 | 0.01618 |
| Vitamin B12 (pg/ml) | 433.6 ± 186.2 | 434.0 ± 192.4 | 432.0 ± 161.3 | 0.91759 |
| TSH (uIU/ml) | 2.4 ± 1.2 | 2.4 ± 1.2 | 2.4 ± 1.0 | 0.78859 |
| Urine protein/creatinine ratio | 0.2 ± 0.5 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.6 | 0.08528 |
| Feet ESC (μS) | 63.9 ± 18.2 | 69.3 ± 13.8 | 43.7 ± 18.7 | < 0.0001 |
| Feet ESC < 60, n (%) | 153 (29.3) | 60 (14.5) | 93 (84.5) | < 0.0001 |
| Abnormal hands or feet ESC, n (%) | 257 (49.1) | 157 (38.0) | 100 (90.9) | < 0.0001 |
N (%) for categorical variables, mean (SD) for continuous variables.
*P-value < 0.05 considered significant.
BMI–body mass index, DNS–Diabetic neuropathy symptom score, NDS–modified neuropathy disability score, VPT–vibration perception threshold, FPG–fasting plasma glucose, PPG–post prandial glucose, HbA1c –glycated hemoglobin, HDL–high density lipoprotein, LDL–low density lipoprotein, TSH–thyroid stimulating hormone, ESC–electrochemical skin conductance