A Nationwide Study on the Prevalence of Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Greece-The...

Background/Objectives: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) with prevalence estimates showing considerable variation across studies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of PN in adult Greek subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Τhe PRENEDIG (PREvalence of peripheral NEuropathy in type 2 DIabetes in Greece) study was a nationwide, cross-sectional multicenter study based on data collected from hospital-based diabetes clinics and primary care practices from January 2024 to June 2024 in Greece. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) prevalence and severity were evaluated using the Neuropathy Symptom Score (NSS) and the Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS). Additional sensory assessment tools were considered to support clinical evaluation. Multivariate regression analysis examined the association between DPN and potential risk factors. Results: Among the study population (n = 1807), the overall DPN prevalence was 18.87% and increased with longer diabetes duration. DPN prevalence among participants with over 10 years of T2DM reached 26.49%. Logistic regression analysis identified several independent predictors of DPN including diabetes duration > 10 years (p < 0.001), arterial hypertension in participants with diabetes duration < 10 years (OR = 2.69, CI: 1.68-4.30, p < 0.001), HbA1c levels (OR = 1.20, CI: 1.10-1.31, p < 0.001), and age (OR = 1.02, CI: 1.00-1.03, p = 0.024). An interaction-related association was observed, with arterial hypertension not increasing the risk of DPN any further in participants with disease duration > 10 years (OR: 3.73 vs. 3.80 with or without arterial hypertension, respectively). Sensory assessment tools further validated DPN diagnosis. Conclusions: In Greece, DPN is a common complication, affecting nearly one in five T2DM patients. The results of the study reinforce the importance of routine screening, particularly among older patients and those with longer diabetes duration to facilitate early detection and timely management of DPN and its associated complications.