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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur if you have diabetes. High blood sugar can injure nerve fibers throughout your body, but diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in your legs and feet.

Depending on the affected nerves, symptoms of diabetic neuropathy can range from pain and numbness in your extremities to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart. For some people, these symptoms are mild; for others, diabetic neuropathy can be painful, disabling and even fatal.

Diabetic neuropathy is a common serious complication of diabetes. Yet you can often prevent diabetic neuropathy or slow its progress with tight blood sugar control and a healthy lifestyle.

References
  1. Diabetic neuropathies: The nerve damage of diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/neuropathies/neuropathies.pdf. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
  2. Feldman EL, et al. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
  3. Aring AM, et al. Evaluation and prevention of diabetic neuropathy. American Family Physician. 2005;71:2123.
  4. Chaudhry V. Peripheral neuropathy. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2907120. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
  5. Tesfaye S. Advances in the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care. 2009;3:136.
  6. Standards of medical care in diabetes, 2009. American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(suppl):13.
  7. Masharani U, et al. Pancreatic hormones and diabetes mellitus. In: Gardner DG, et al. Greenspan's Basic and Clinical Endocrinology. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill Medical; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2633151. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
  8. Veves A. Painful diabetic neuropathy: Epidemiology, natural history, early diagnosis, and treatment options. Pain Medicine. 2008;9:660.
  9. Diabetic neuropathies. American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2005;28:956.
  10. Robertson CB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 10, 2009.
  11. ACCORD study group. Effects of intensive blood-pressure control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. New England Journal of Medicine. 2010. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa1001286. Accessed March 15, 2010.
DS01045 March 17, 2010

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