Time to diabetic neuropathy and its predictors among adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Amhara regional state Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: A retrospective follow up study

BACKGROUND: Diabetic neuropathy is the primary cause of foot ulcers and amputations in both industrialized and poor countries. In spite of this, most epidemiological research on diabetic neuropathy in Ethiopia have only made an effort to estimate prevalence, and the information underlying the condition’s beginning is not well-established. Therefore, determining the time to diabetic neuropathy and its variables among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the Compressive Specialized Hospitals of the Amhara region was the aim of this study. METHODS: An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was undertaken among 669 newly recruited adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were diagnosed between the first of March 2007 and the last day of February 2012. Patients with diabetic neuropathy at the time of the diagnosis for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), patients without a medical chart, patients with an unknown date of DM diagnosis, and patients with an unknown date of diabetic neuropathy diagnosis were excluded from the study. All newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients aged 18 years and older who were enrolled from 1st March 2007 to 28th February 2012 in selected hospitals were included in this study. Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to determine predictors of time to diabetic neuropathy, and the Kaplan Meier survival curve was used to assess the cumulative survival time. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significance at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The restricted mean survival time of this study was 179.45 (95% CI: 173.77–185.14) months. The overall incidence rate of diabetic neuropathy was 2.14 cases per 100 persons-years. Being aged > 60 years [AHR = 2.93(95% CI: 1.29–6.66)], having diabetic retinopathy [AHR = 2.76(95% CI: 1.84–4.16)], having anemia [AHR = 3.62 (95% CI: 2.46–5.33)], having hypertension [AHR = 3.22(95% CI: 2.10–4.93)], and baseline fasting blood sugar > 200 mg/dl [AHR = 2.56(95% CI: 1.68–3.92)] were the predictors of diabetic neuropathy. CONCLUSION: The risk of occurrence of diabetic neuropathy among type two diabetes mellitus patients was high in the early period. Age > 60 years, diabetic retinopathy, anemia, baseline fasting blood sugar level > 200 mg/dl, and hypertension were the main predictors of incidence of diabetic neuropathy. Therefore, early detection and appropriate interventions are important for patients with old age, diabetic retinopathy, anemia, hypertension, and FBS > 200mg/dl.