A recent study in Sweden has confirmed the prevalence of DPN in people with T1D with longer disease duration (over the course of 30 years). The authors were able to highlight the major role of metabolic control....
The direct costs of diabetes in 2021/22 for the UK were estimated at £10.7 billion, of which just over 40% related to diagnosis and treatment, with the rest relating to the excess costs of complications. Indirect costs were estimated at £3.3 billion. A pragmatic review, commissioned by Diabetes UK and carried out by York Health Economics Consortium, shows that the NHS spends £10.7bn a year on diabetes, about 6% of the UK health budget. The review of relevant data sources for UK nations includes population-level data sets and published literature, to...
Neuropad has been featured in an article in the Mail on Sunday Health Supplement, written by Martyn Halle and Jonathan Neal. A SIMPLE ten-minute DIY test can help spot the early signs of a potentially deadly foot problem that affects diabetics before symptoms strike. The tiny stick-on plaster is able to flag up if a patient is suffering from peripheral neuropathy, where the nerves in the legs and feet lose function and sensitivity. The condition hits half of people with diabetes and increases the risk that small cuts or blisters on the feet...
Delegates at an international diabetic neuropathy conference heard how a painless home test provides a valid and accurate check for diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN). A study presented at the recent NeuroDiab medical conference in Thessaloniki, Greece, shared the results of research into the effectiveness of Neuropad, a non-invasive home test that provides an early warning of diabetes related foot problems. Damage to the nerves in the feet due to diabetes can result in the sweat glands not producing enough moisture, leading to dry and cracked feet. Sudomotor dysfunction is one of the earliest indicators of...
Since 2013/14, there has been a growth in the volume and value of clinical negligence claims involving patients with diabetes-related lower limb complications. The majority of claims have involved patients with a diabetic foot ulcer who went on to undergo a major lower limb amputation. Major amputation is a life changing event for a person with diabetes, but the tragedy is all the greater if it could have been prevented. In such circumstances, at the very least, all possible lessons should be learnt from the circumstances surrounding such amputations and patient...
Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN), an underdiagnosed diabetes complication, is defined as ‘an autonomic nervous system disorder that results from changes caused by diabetes or prediabetes, after exclusion of other possible causes.’ It is due to damage to the small unmyelinated type C nerve fibers, and the clinical picture may vary from subclinical to symptomatic states, requiring specific tests for diagnosis confirmation. Several risk factors have been shown to contribute to DAN development, including diabetes duration, poor glucose control, obesity, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, and microvascular complications. Gold-standard diagnostic tests for DAN,...