Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients Found to Have Low Vitamin D in Vacaville

Type 2 diabetes patients in Vacaville suffering from painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy were found to have lower vitamin D levels compared to healthy volunteers and type 2 diabetes patients without neuropathy. This data was taken from 59 individuals (14 patients with type 2 diabetes and painless diabetic peripheral neuropathy, 14 with type 2 diabetes without neuropathy, 14 healthy volunteers, and 17 with type 2 diabetes and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy) from the outpatient clinics and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust diabetes database from 2013 to 2014.

Can Vitamin D help improve Neuropathy Symptoms in Vacaville?

There is some evidence that vitamin D supplementation can help improve painful neuropathy symptoms. Although this is not consistent yet the purpose of this study was to address these limitations.

It was found that diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients had higher BMI (P=.02) and were older (P=.009) compared to healthy volunteers and patients without neuropathy. Neuropathy patients scored higher on the Neuropathy Impairment Score Lower Limb and very low on the intra-epidermal nerve fiber density (P<.01). Researchers adjusted for BMI, age, sunlight exposure and activity score and found lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients suffering from painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. There were no significant differences between the groups in estimates of outdoor activity or sunlight exposure.

Researchers also performed a direct logistics regression analysis to determine the impact of BMI, age, diabetes duration, activity score, sunlight exposure score, vitamin D levels and mean arterial blood pressure on painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients. The analysis shows that vitamin D was the only independent variable that significantly contributed to the model (inverted OR=1.11). There is also some significant negative correlation between the pain scores (P=.02) and vitamin D levels, but no significant correlation between nerve conduction studies and vitamin D levels. Lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were also linked with subepidermal nerve fiber densities (P=.01) and lower cold detection thresholds (P=.02).

Researchers have evaluated the link between HbA1C and vitamin D levels and found a significant negative correlation with higher glucose load associated with lower vitamin D levels (P=.01). This data shows the possible role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Researchers added that further prospective and intervention trials are needed to prove causality between painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy and low vitamin D levels.

If you need further explanation or discussion with your diabetic peripheral neuropathy, get in touch with Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine today by dialing (707) 474-5688.