Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Vol 26 No 6 (November/December 2015)

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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 26, No 6, November/December 2015 AFRICA 209
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Peripheral neuropathy associated with cardiovascular disease
and stroke in type 2 diabetes patients
Testing for peripheral neuropathy may provide a way to
identify individuals at higher risk of cardiovascular events.
Jack Brownrigg, a PhD student at St George’s, University
of London, UK, who conducted the research at St George’s
Vascular Institute, is quoted in a press release from St George’s
as saying, ‘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. 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 Hinchliffe, senior lecturer and consultant in
vascular surgery at St George’s, who co-led the study with
Prof Kausik Ray, said: ‘While loss of sensation in the feet
is known to be a key risk factor for foot ulcers, it may
also provide additional useful information to guide patient
management. This is the first study to show that it can also
indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular problems like
heart attacks or strokes.’
‘The good news is that peripheral neuropathy can be
easily identified by simple tests carried out in GP surgeries.
The results of the study warrant further investigation as to
whether even greater control of risk factors, including blood
pressure and blood sugar can prevent or delay the onset of
cardiovascular disease. There is likely an unmet potential
to reduce cardiovascular disease in this group of patients
through greater monitoring and simple treatments.’
Theresearchersanalyseddatafrom13000patientsdiagnosed
with type 2 diabetes with no history of cardiovascular disease.
They found that individuals with peripheral neuropathy were
more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, noticing that
patients who experienced loss of sensation in their feet also
tended to have heart and circulatory problems, and so they
suggested that the presence of peripheral neuropathy could
be used as a simple way to indicate which high-risk patients
with diabetes are in need of intensive care and monitoring.
References
1. Peripheral neuropathy and the risk of cardiovascular events in type 2
diabetes mellitus. Heart doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-305657.
2.
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