[Vitamin status in diabetic neuropathy (thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxin, cobalamin and tocopherol)]

Investigations on the vitamin pattern of diabetic neuropathy: thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, cobalamin and tocopherol. The contents of the vitamins mentioned above have been measured in the blood of 119 patients (53 diabetic neuropathies, 66 diabetics without neuropathy). The incidence of neuropathy shows a strong correlation with the duration of the diabetic state, but not with sex, nor with concomitant diseases such as adipositas, hypertension, heart and circulatory diseases, except retinopathia diabetica. Most of the diabetics in our study are well supplied with vitamins B1, B2, and E; B6 and B12 are occasionally low, but there is no statistically relevant difference between diabetic controls and neuropathies. Adipose patients have neither a markedly different vitamin content nor a different calory uptake from non-adipose patients. A general trend towards reduced total calory uptake is seen in old age, men (lower protein intake) and women (lower carbohydrate intake) obviously differing somewhat in their habits. The influence of therapy on the vitamin pattern is not clear cut, except for patients under diet and biguanide-therapy showing a higher proportion of low or subnormal B12 values. The increased frequency of neuropathies in patients treated with sulfonyl-urea approaches only the limits of significance and needs further investigations.