Study on Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and Urological Complications

A recent study has revealed that men with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction (ED) and/or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The study appears in the journal Diabetes Care.

Rodica Pop-Busui, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and colleagues aimed to evaluate associations between diabetic peripheral neuropathy and urological complications in men and women with type 1 diabetes.

For this purpose, the researchers examined measurements of DPN at Epidemiology of Diabetes Intervention and Complications (EDIC) years 1, 14, and 17 and urological complications at EDIC year 17 in 635 men (mean age 51.6 years, diabetes duration 29.5 years) and 371 women (mean age 50.6 years, diabetes duration 29.8 years). They were enrolled in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)/EDIC study. DPN was defined by symptoms, signs, and abnormal electrophysiology or by abnormal Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) examination or questionnaire scores.

Based on the study, the researchers found the following:

• Erectile dysfunction (ED) in combination with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was reported in 15% of men and female sexual dysfunction (FSD), LUTS, and urinary incontinence (UI) in 16% of women.
• Adjusted for age, drinking status, BMI, depression, DCCT/EDIC time-weighted mean HbA1c, microalbuminuria, hypertension, triglycerides, and statin medication use, the odds of reporting ED and LUTS versus no ED or LUTS at EDIC year 17 were 3.52 times greater in men with confirmed DPN at EDIC year 13/14 compared to men without confirmed DPN.
• Compared to men without DPN, men with DPN based on abnormal MNSI examination or questionnaire scores had significantly higher odds of reporting ED and LUTS vs. no ED or LUTS at EDIC year 17.
• There were no significant differences in DPN between women reporting both FSD and LUTS/UI compared with those without FSD or LUTS/UI at EDIC year 17.

The researchers concluded, "In long-standing T1D, DPN is associated with the later development of urological complications in men."

Reference

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and Urological Complications in Type 1 Diabetes: Findings From the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study. Rodica Pop-Busui, Barbara H. Braffett, Hunter Wessells, William H. Herman, Catherine L. Martin, Alan M. Jacobson, Aruna V. Sarma. Diabetes Care Nov 2021, dc211276; DOI: 10.2337/dc21-1276