Abdominal Obesity is Related to Polyneuropathy, Irrespective of Diabetes: A Population-Based Analysis (P5.081)

Background: Diabetes is a known risk factor for polyneuropathy, but there has been debate whether prediabetes and/or metabolic syndrome are also related to the occurrence of polyneuropathy. Objective: To investigate the association of diabetes, impaired fasting glucose and metabolic syndrome with polyneuropathy in a community-dwelling, elderly population. Methods: Between June 2013 and September 2015, 1309 participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study (mean age 70.2,54.7[percnt] females) were investigated for polyneuropathy with an in-person screening that included a symptom questionnaire, a neurological examination and nerve conduction studies. A consensus panel diagnosed participants with definite, probable, possible or no polyneuropathy. Height, weight, waist-circumference, bloodpressure, serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride-levels were also measured and lipid-lowering and anti-diabetic treatment was documented. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations with definite polyneuropathy and linear regression to investigate associations with nerve conduction measurements. Results: Diabetes was present in 13.8[percnt], impaired fasting glucose in 11.7[percnt] and metabolic syndrome in 46.1[percnt] of participants. The prevalence of definite polyneuropathy was 4.5[percnt]. Diabetes associated with polyneuropathy (OR 2.12, 95[percnt] CI 1.13;3.97), while impaired fasting glucose did not (neither using the WHO nor the ADA definition, OR 1.70 (0.76;3.83) and 0.65 (0.32;1.30) respectively). Metabolic syndrome was not associated with polyneuropathy (OR 1.31 (0.75;2.30)). However, when investigating each component of the metabolic syndrome separately, there was a strong association with elevated waist circumference (OR 3.91 (1.74;8.78)), even after correction for other components (including elevated fasting glucose and diabetes) and after excluding participants with diabetes. Diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, metabolic syndrome, elevated waist circumference and reduced HDL cholesterol were associated with lower sural SNAP amplitudes. Conclusions: In our study we found an association between diabetes and polyneuropathy. Moreover, we showed an association of elevated waist circumference with polyneuropathy and with lower sural SNAP amplitudes, which were irrespective of the presence of diabetes. Study_Supported_by_the_Prinses_Beatrix_Spierfonds_for_neuromuscular_diseases_(grant_number_W.OR12-08) Disclosure: Dr. Hanewinckel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Drenthen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hofman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Van Doorn has received personal compensation for activities with Talecris, ZLB, Baxter, and Octapharma. Dr. Ikram has nothing to disclose.