Table 4.
Summary of key epidemiological and clinical findings regarding T1DM-related DSPN
| Analyzed variables in T1DM-related DSPN | % (n of studies) | Other observations (n of studies) |
|---|---|---|
| DSPN prevalence in adults | 14–44.3% (19) | Lower prevalence of DSPN in T1DM compared with T2DM (7) |
| DSPN prevalence in childhood | 25.9% [21–34.1%] (8)* | T1DM-related DSPN prevalence in childhood is slightly lower than in adults |
| Neuropathic pain prevalence | 5.8–18.9% (3)** | Neuropathic pain prevalence is lower in T1DM compared with T2DM-related DSPN (4) |
| Non-painful symptoms prevalence | 13.3–65.7% (9) | Non-painful symptoms are more frequent than neuropathic pain in T1DM-related DSPN (4) |
| Subclinical neuropathy prevalence | 35–96.6% (8) | - |
| Ankle reflexes abnormalities frequency | 2–75% (9) | Frequency of large fiber-mediated signs (ankle reflexes abnormalities and vibration hypoesthesia) is higher compared with small fiber-related signs (thermal and pinprick hypoesthesia) in T1DM-related DSPN |
| Vibration hypoesthesia | 5.1–69% (14) | |
| Thermal hypoesthesia | 8.3–43.8% (8) | |
| Pinprick hypoesthesia | 0–23% (3) | |
| Main risk factors for DSPN | T1DM duration (11), HbA1c (8), age (6), hypertension (5), smoking (4), retinopathy (3), nephropathy (3), dyslipidemia (3) | BMI and male sex, two frequently reported risk factors for T2DM-related DSPN, were never reported for T1DM-related DSPN |
| Main risk factors for neuropathic pain | Diabetes duration (2), age (2), female sex (2) | T1DM- and T2DM-related DSPN share risk factors for neuropathic pain |
(n studies) is the number of studies reporting the analyzed variable. *DSPN prevalence in childhood was calculated through a meta-analysis of 8 studies based on similar diagnostic criteria; **Neuropathic pain prevalence estimation was based on the 3 studies using the DN4 questionnaire for neuropathic pain diagnosis, a widely agreed screening tool for neuropathic pain.