Prevalence and impact of pain in diabetic neuropathy

AbstractBackground: Diabetic neuropathy (DNP) is a serious and common complication of diabetes mellitus, with a prevalence of around 30–50%.Aims: To describe the prevalence, severity and medical treatment of painful DNP (PDNP) experienced by patients treated in secondary care; to determine quality of life (QoL) impact and the relationship between severity of pain and severity of DNP.Methods: Cross-sectional, two-phase survey. First, a pain interview was conducted by telephone (219 DNP patients), which covered types of pain, location and duration. Secondly, 50 patients were visited at home. Patients completed the Brief Pain Inventory, the Short Form Health Survey (SF–36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.Results: Prevalence of PDNP was 57.5%. Average and worst pain scores were 5.3±2.1 and 6.4±2.2, respectively (0–10 scale, 10 = worst pain imaginable). In 70% of patients, average pain was severe (score ≥5). Substantial interference by pain (score ≥4) was found in walking ability, sleep and norma...