[Diabetic neuropathy: new therapeutic options?].

The importance of diabetic neuropathy as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease and leading risk factor for the diabetic foot syndrome has become firmly established. The first line treatment comprises optimal diabetic control and intensified multifactorial treatment with normalization of blood pressure and blood lipids. In this connection, a fascinating recent discovery is the so called "metabolic memory" of an earlier near normal diabetic control over years, with a reduction of about 50% in nonfatal and fatal cardiac events and the incidence of diabetic neuropathy as a result of a former intensive therapy.