Nerve conduction study of the association between glycemic variability and diabetes neuropathy

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether glycemic variability is related to diabetes microvascular disease, especially diabetes peripheral neuropathy (DPN). We investigated the association between glycemic variability and DPN with type 1 or 2 diabetes. METHODS: Forty patients (23 males and 17 females; aged 34–79 years) underwent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and a nerve conduction study (NCS). Glycemic variability was estimated by mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) in CGM. DPN was quantitatively evaluated by NCS in the median, tibial, sural and medial plantar nerves. RESULTS: MAGE had a significantly positive correlation with disease duration and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (r = 0.462, p = 0.003; and r = 0.40, p = 0.011, respectively), and a significantly negative correlation with BMI and medial plantar compound nerve action potential amplitude (r = − 0.39, p = 0.012; and r = − 0.32, p = 0.042, respectively). Multivariate linear regression analysis with adjustment for clinical background showed that MAGE (β = − 0.49, p= 0.007) was independently associated with a higher risk of medial plantar neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Glycemic variability may be an independent risk factor for DPN.