Analysis of Factors Related to Type 2 Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Based on Flash Glucose Monitoring System

BACKGROUND: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common, serious microvascular complication of type-2 diabetes, greatly impacting patients’ quality of life. Due to the lack of effective clinical treatments to delay or reverse the progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, early and comprehensive management of risk factors becomes crucial in preventing this complication and improving clinical prognosis. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with peripheral neuropathy in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus, using flash glucose monitoring data gathered in a retrospective clinical study. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study encompassed 325 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus who were diagnosed and treated at Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital of Tianjin Medical University between February 2019 and May 2021. All patients underwent continuous flash glucose monitoring for 14 days. Based on the occurrence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, patients were categorized into two groups: the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group (150 patients) and the non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy group (175 patients). Risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy were analyzed by comparing the clinical data, biochemical indicators, and blood glucose fluctuation data between the two groups. RESULTS: Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated that factors such as smoking, duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial glucose (2hPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin resistance index, mean blood glucose (MBG), coefficient of variation, standard deviation, mean amplitude of glycemic excursion, mean of daily differences, and time above range were positively correlated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Conversely, time in range was negatively associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified smoking, duration of diabetes, insulin resistance index, and time in range as related factors of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking, duration of diabetes, insulin resistance index, and time in range were identified as significant risk factors for type-2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy.