23 Jan 2024
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 nerve damage.
Neuropad is stuck to the sole of each foot like a sticking plaster and checks for nerve damage by detecting minute quantities of sweat.
NeuroDiab delegates heard how Neuropad has a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 78% and identical respective positive and negative predictive values for the detection of DAN. Major clinical manifestations of DAN include resting tachycardia, exercise intolerance, orthostatic hypotension, constipation, gastroparesis, erectile dysfunction, sudomotor dysfunction, impaired neurovascular function, ‘brittle diabetes’, and hypoglycaemic autonomic failure.
DAN is therefore a serious consequence of diabetes and early detection is of considerable clinical benefit.
The study results:
| All patients | T1DM | T2DM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 89% | 84% | 92% |
| Specificity | 78% | 92% | 64% |
| Positive predictive value | 78% | 86% | 75% |
| Negative predictive value | 89% | 90% | 88% |
| Accuracy | 84% | 87% | 79% |