The SA Journal Diabetes & Vascular Disease Vol 13 No 2 (December 2016)

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RESEARCH ARTICLE SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
80 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 2 • DECEMBER 2016
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Jack Brownrigg, a PhD student at St George’s, University of London,
UK, who conducted the research at St George’s Vascular Institute,
is quoted in a press release from St George’s as saying, ‘While the
risk of cardiovascular disease is known to be higher in patients
Peripheral neuropathy associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke
in type 2 diabetes patients
Testing for peripheral neuropathy may provide a way to identify individuals at higher risk for
cardiovascular events.
with diabetes, predicting which patients may be at greatest risk is
often difficult. We looked at data on individuals with no history
of cardiovascular disease and found that those with peripheral
neuropathy were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.’
Robert Hinchliffe, senior lecturer and consultant in vascular
surgery at St George’s, who co-led the study with Prof Kausik
Ray, said: ‘While loss of sensation in the feet is known to be a key
risk factor for foot ulcers, it may also provide additional useful
information to guide patient management. This is the first study
to show that it can also indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular
problems like heart attacks or strokes.’
‘The good news is that peripheral neuropathy can be easily
identified by simple tests carried out in GP surgeries. The results of
the study warrant further investigation as to whether even greater
control of risk factors, including blood pressure and blood sugar, can
prevent or delay the onset of cardiovascular disease. There is likely
an unmet potential to reduce cardiovascular disease in this group of
patients through greater monitoring and simple treatments.’
The researchers analysed data from 13 000 patients diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes with no history of cardiovascular disease.
They found that individuals with peripheral neuropathy were more
likely to develop cardiovascular disease, noticing that patients who
experienced loss of sensation in their feet also tended to have heart
and circulatory problems, and so they suggested that the presence
of peripheral neuropathy could be used as a simple way to indicate
which high-risk patients with diabetes are in need of intensive care
and monitoring.
References
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