Research by medical students at St. George’s University in London found that the loss of sensation in the feet in diabetics could be a predictor of certain cardiovascular events like heart attack or strokes.
As we’ve documented in past posts, diabetes affects how blood flows throughout the body. Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves, especially if a patient struggles to control their blood sugar. Damage to the circulatory system can lead to poor blood circulation, typically in the hands and feet. If the circulation is extremely poor, a person may be forced to undergo an amputation.
Researchers sought to determine if there were identifiable precursors to more severe adverse events in an effort to prevent individuals from losing limbs or suffering related health issues due to poor circulation. For example, loss of sensation in the feet is often a precursor to development of a foot ulcer. Researchers wanted to see if other sensory issues put a person at greater risk for suffering a cardiovascular event.
Results
For their study, researchers examined 13,000 patients with type-2 diabetes and no history of cardiovascular disease. After comparing diabetics diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy (as diagnosed by their general practitioner) to those without peripheral neuropathy, researchers found that the individuals with foot sensory issues were more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack.
“While the risk of cardiovascular disease is known to be higher in patients with diabetes, predicting which patients may be at greatest risk is often difficult,” said researcher Jack Brownrigg, PHD. “We looked at data on individuals with no history of cardiovascular disease and found that those with peripheral neuropathy were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.”
Robert Hincliffe, co-author of the study, said the study was the first of it’s kind and could help general practitioners with their care of diabetic patients.
“This is the first study to show that it can also indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular problems like heart attacks or strokes,” said Hincliffe.”The good news is that peripheral neuropathy can be easily identified by simple tests carried out in GP surgeries. There is likely an unmet potential to reduce cardiovascular disease in this group of patients through greater monitoring and simple treatments.”
Dr. Silverman comments
Sensory deficiency is one of the side effects of diabetes that doctors and patients need to closely monitor. Thousands of Americans lose limbs each year because of circulatory complications caused by diabetes.
I’m glad the authors decided to study the impact of poor circulation on cardiovascular events. The results are more common sense than earth shattering, but the key here is that studies like these help improve social awareness about the potential deadly consequences of ignoring warning signs.
Related source: BMJ
