A Pilot Study Investigating the effect of Glycemic Control on Electrodiagnostic Parameters in Type II Diabetic Patients

Background: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic abnormality due to either decreased secretion of insulin or decreased tissue sensitivity of insulin resulting in elevated blood glucose. Most common complication of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy. In this research project, we will be conducting a pilot study to observe the effect of glycaemic control on physiological functioning of nerve with the help of neurophysiological parameters, independent of duration of diabetes.

Objectives:

To investigate relationship of quality of glycemic control & severity of neurological changes.

To find out whether glycemic control acts as an independent risk factor for progression of diabetic neuropathy despite the duration of diabetes.

To validate the HBA1C at 10 for future longitudinal study to understand the association between glycemic control & progression of neuropathy.

Methodology: 60 type II diabetic patients visiting diabetic OPD (Medicine) will participate in the study. The patients will be divided in to 2 groups of Group number 1 with (30 subjects) HBA1C < 10 and Group number 2 having (30 subjects) HBA1C >10. Electrodiagnostic study will be conducted on motor (tibial nerve) and sensory (sural nerve) will be performed in Neurophysiology lab. Neurophysiological parameters data of two groups will be analysed and compared.

Expected Results: The pilot study will help to find out whether glycaemic control acts as a separate risk factor for progression of diabetic neuropathy despite duration of diabetes.

Conclusion: This pilot study will help to establish the association between quality of glycaemic control and severity of neurological changes. Also, this will help to validate the HBA1C at 10 for further longitudinal study to know whether poor diabetes control is an independent risk factor associated to the severity of neuropathy in type II diabetes.