Neuropad® 10-Minute Screening Test
A guide for members of the public
Neuropad® is a patented 10-minute screening test for the early detection of diabetic foot syndrome; a condition which can lead to serious complications such as foot ulceration and even amputation. The test is completely painless.
The test is completely painless.
Why is early screening for diabetic foot problems important?
Half of all people with diabetes may develop peripheral neuropathy, including peripheral autonomic neuropathy.
Complications can develop before treatment starts. Early identification of possible problems is a considerable advantage, so that treatment can be started early.
Think of the test as an early warning system for your feet. Screening for ‘at-risk’ feet is the job of all of those caring for people with diabetes.
Preventing a foot ulcer from developing is preferable to treating one, or suffering the human and economic consequences of treatment failure.
What is Neuropad® used for?
Nerve damage to the feet is a common complication of diabetes, but is often not noticed until it has become quite advanced, potentially leading to serious complications.
When someone has diabetes, especially if it’s not well controlled, their body has too much sugar in the blood for a long time.
This high blood sugar can damage the nerves in the body—especially the tiny ones that control automatic things like sweating.
This is called sudomotor dysfunction, which just means the body can’t sweat properly.
Neuropad® can diagnose sudomotor dysfunction via the use of a simple colour-change pad.
- Too much sugar = nerve damage
High blood sugar hurts the nerves by causing stress and inflammation inside them. It also creates harmful chemicals that build up and damage the nerves over time. - Blood supply to nerves gets worse
The small blood vessels that feed the nerves also get damaged, so the nerves don’t get enough oxygen and nutrients. This makes the damage even worse. - Sweat-controlling nerves are very sensitive
The nerves that go to your sweat glands are small and delicate. They’re some of the first to be damaged, and when they are, your sweat glands can’t work properly. - Sweating becomes abnormal
With these nerves damaged, you might stop sweating in some places (like your feet or hands), or you might sweat too much in other areas if nerve signals go wrong. - It usually starts in the feet and hands
The longest nerves are usually affected first, so people often notice changes in sweating in their feet and hands before other parts of the body. - Why this matters
Not sweating properly can cause problems with body temperature control and can make your skin more likely to break down or get infected. - What makes it worse
The longer someone has diabetes—and the worse their blood sugar control is—the more likely they are to have this kind of nerve damage.
How to use Neuropad®
A Neuropad® screening test is stuck to the sole of each foot like a sticking plaster and left in place for 10 minutes.
The pad is blue to start with and should turn pink, in the presence of moisture from sweating, to indicate a normal result.
If the Neuropad® test patch stays blue, or if it turns a patchy blue / pink, then this indicates that you may have some level of nerve damage and that your sweat glands are not working properly as there is not enough moisture to complete the colour change.
Interpreting the Neuropad® screening test results
The pad is all pink
This is a normal result. Your feet are sufficiently moist and soft.
The pad is blue / pink
This result is positive for anhydrosis, i.e. a reduced ability to sweat.
The pad is all blue
This result is positive for anhydrosis, i.e. a reduced ability to sweat.
If the pad remains blue or mixed blue and pink after 10 minutes, this indicates that sudomotor dysfunction has been detected, which is evidence of small fibre denervation and of autonomic neuropathy.
If you are home testing, report the findings to your healthcare team and start daily treatment with Neuropad® foot repair foam.
A video introduction for people with diabetes
Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE introduces the Neuropad® 10-Minute Screening Test®: ‘the canary in the coal mine’ – a simple, painless, non-invasive and objective test for the early identification of diabetes related foot problems.
Prevention is always better than cure.
Neuropad® 10-minute screening test® updates
Neuropad® reveals sudomotor decline linked to blood sugar and metabolic health
Simple plaster test could save people with diabetes from amputations
Latest study demonstrates sensitivity and accuracy of Neuropad®
Validation of Neuropad® as a test for autonomic neuropathy
Autonomic neuropathic symptoms in patients with diabetes: practical tools for screening in daily routine
Neuropad® assists in ascertaining presence of peripheral small fibre autonomic dysfunction and to identify preulcerative foot lesions in people with diabetes
Neuropad® 10-Minute Screening Test® recommended for use in a care home setting
Neuropad® and clinical guidelines align to enhance early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Prospective observational study recommends use of Neuropad® visual indicator plaster
