Diabetic neuropathy and zinc therapy.

This was a double blind study conducted on 60 subjects; 20 age and sex matched healthy controls (Group-I), 20 patients of diabetes mellitus with neuropathy who received placebo for 6 weeks (Group-IIA); and 20 patients of diabetes mellitus with neuropathy who were given oral 660 mg zinc sulphate for 6 weeks (Group-IIB). Serum zinc level, fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood sugar 2 hour after breakfast (2HABF) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) were estimated on day 0 and after 6 weeks in all subjects. Serum zinc levels were significantly low (p<0.001) in group II-A and II-B as compared to healthy controls (group-I) at base line. After 6 weeks the changes in pre and post therapy values of FBS, 2HABF and MNCV (median and common peroneal nerve) were highly significant (p<0.001) for group II-B alone with insignificant change (p>0.05) in group II-A. Therefore, zinc therapy helps in achieving better glycemic control and improvement in peripheral neuropathy as assessed by MNCV.