Therapeutic Research

Abstract

The symptom prevalence of numbness caused by the diabetic neuropathy as one of three major complications of diabetes is estimated as approximately 20% in overseas studies, which means it is not a rare symptom. However, in Japan, probably due partly to the Japanese mental attitudes, not many diabetic patients complain about numbness and the reality about it has yet to be clarified. A questionnaire was conducted on 122 diabetic outpatients visiting the Department of Diabetes Metabolism and Endocrinology at Chiba University Hospital. The results suggested that a higher percentage of patients had numbness than overseas figures, that there is a possibility of miscommunication about numbness between physicians and patients in their regular consultations, that there are considerable number of patients with numbness even when their glycemic control is successful, and that there is a possibility of diabetic neuropathy manifesting in diabetic patients even in the preclinical phase. It is important to ascertain the existence of numbness in medical interviews with diabetic patients and more detailed glycemic control is necessary for those who have numbness.