Clinical Profile of Documented Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy by GLP-1-Based Medication Status: A Cross-Sectional...

Background and Objectives: This exploratory single-center retrospective cross-sectional study characterized patients with documented diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) according to documented GLP-1-based medication status. GLP-1-based medication status was defined by a hospital medication-field entry for exenatide, dulaglutide, semaglutide, a fixed-ratio insulin/GLP-1 receptor agonist combination, or tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. Materials and Methods: Medication-level records from a hospital-defined February 2024-February 2026 reporting window were aggregated by PatID for 4120 unique patients in active-patient exports from the Clinical County Emergency Hospital Bihor. The files lacked patient-level encounter, diagnosis, and treatment dates; therefore, they were analyzed as an undated reporting snapshot. DPN and diabetes type were defined from export fields and were not independently clinically validated. Results: GLP-1-based medications were documented in 852 patients (20.7%). Patients with these medications in their records had longer documented diabetes duration (14.85 ± 8.64 vs. 11.72 ± 8.73 years; p < 0.001) and a higher documented comorbidity count (2.64 ± 1.65 vs. 1.89 ± 1.55; p < 0.001). Heart failure was documented in 35.7% versus 22.2%, and any lower-limb amputation in 3.3% versus 1.2%. For heart failure, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.68 (95% CI 1.41-1.99) in the primary model and 1.37 (1.12-1.67) in the expanded exploratory model; the corresponding robust Poisson prevalence ratio was 1.45 (1.30-1.63). Because only 66 amputations were recorded, amputation was retained as a descriptive, unadjusted outcome and was not modeled multivariably. Conclusions: A GLP-1-based medication record identified a clinically complex subgroup with documented DPN. The findings are exploratory and hypothesis-generating; because treatment and outcome dates were unavailable, they do not establish temporality, treatment benefit, or treatment harm.