Causes of Diabetic Neuropathies

Diabetic neuropathies are a family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes. People with diabetes can, over time, have damage to nerves throughout the body. Neuropathies lead to numbness and sometimes pain and weakness in the hands, arms, feet, and legs. Problems may also occur in every organ system, including the digestive tract, heart, and sex organs. People with diabetes can develop nerve problems at any time, but the longer a person has diabetes, the greater the risk.
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An estimated 50 percent of those with diabetes have some form of neuropathy, but not all with neuropathy have symptoms. The highest rates of neuropathy are among people who have had the disease for at least 25 years.
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Diabetic neuropathy also appears to be more common in people who have had problems controlling their blood glucose levels, in those with high levels of blood fat and blood pressure, in overweight people, and in people over the age of 40. The most common type is peripheral neuropathy, also called distal symmetric neuropathy, which affects the arms and legs.
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Causes
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The causes are probably different for different varieties of diabetic neuropathy. Researchers are studying the effect of glucose on nerves to find out exactly how prolonged exposure to high glucose causes neuropathy. Nerve damage is likely due to a combination of factors:

• metabolic factors, such as high blood glucose, long duration of diabetes, possibly low levels of insulin, and abnormal blood fat levels
• neurovascular factors, leading to damage to the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves
• autoimmune factors that cause inflammation in nerves
• mechanical injury to nerves, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
• inherited traits that increase susceptibility to nerve disease
• lifestyle factors such as smoking or alcohol use

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To view information on another disease, click on SOD and Pancreatitis Library, or continue on with me as we study Diabetic Neuropathies.

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