Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes, which increases diabetesrelated morbidity and mortality. Vibration perception threshold is considered a gold standard for diagnosis of DPN. However, the data are sparse using vibration perception threshold (VPT) to assess the frequency of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in Nigeria. Hence, this cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors of DPN in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Nigeria. We used a vibrometer to assess VPT in both feet of 250 adults with T2DM. A vibration threshold greater than 15 Volts in one or both feet was used to diagnose neuropathy. All participants underwent a standardised questionnaire about diabetes duration, height and weight and history of hypertension. Blood pressure was measured and fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and fasting lipids were determined. We examined the independent association between DPN and these factors. There were 82 (33%) males and 168 (67%) females. The mean age was 48 + 12 years and mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 14 + 12 years. Overall 86.8% (n= 217) of the patients with T2DM were classifed as having neuropathy; while 40 (16%), 37 (15%) and 140 (56%) had mild, moderate and severe neuropathy respectively. Neuropathy was signifcantly associated with age, diabetes duration, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. We conclude that there is a high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in Nigerians already diagnosed with T2DM who are on oral antidiabetic agents, and those patients were far more likely to have complications or comorbidities. The proper management of DPN deserves attention from clinicians to ensure better management of diabetes in Nigeria.

PDF