Frequency of hand and shoulder symptoms in patients with type 1 diabetes

To characterize the frequency of joint symptoms in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and to determine the subset of patients at risk of developing these symptoms.

We invited patients with Type 1 diabetes to complete a survey in which upper limb joint symptoms were scored using a composite of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index and a visual analogue scale. Family or friends of the participants, without diabetes, completed control surveys.

A total of 131 patients and 79 age- and sex-matched control subjects completed the surveys. Patients with Type 1 diabetes had higher composite symptom scores than did the control subjects [median (range) score 25 (0-208) vs. 12 (0-145); P < 0.001]. Patients with long-standing diabetes had significantly higher median (range) scores than those with diabetes of shorter duration [diabetes >30 years: 63(0-208), 15-30 years: 46(0-168), diabetes <15 years: 17(0-143)]. Patients with diabetic nephropathy had higher scores than those without [median (range) score 103 (0-173) vs. 22 (0-208); P = 0.007 between groups]. Neither blood glucose control nor age at diagnosis predicted higher scores.

Upper limb joint symptoms occur with greater frequency in patients with Type 1 diabetes. Longer duration of disease is the best predictor of symptoms. Blood glucose control does not appear to be associated with development of symptoms.