Hayat Tariq, Waqar Ramshaw, Farsi Salman, Ali Sakhawat, Asim Muhammad, Farooq Umar
Acute Internal Medicine, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Peshawar, PAK.
Acute Internal Medicine, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, GBR.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 7;17(7):e87490. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87490. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Background Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a serious but potentially preventable complication of diabetes mellitus, particularly in individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency. Despite clinical guidelines, routine B12 screening remains inconsistent, and hospital-based data on deficiency patterns in DPN populations are scarce. This study evaluated the frequency and determinants of B12 deficiency among patients with DPN at a tertiary care center in Pakistan. Materials and methods We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study on 139 patients (ages 30-60 years old) with type 2 diabetes and confirmed DPN (Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument score ≥4) at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar (August 2022-March 2025). Patients taking prior B12 supplementation or with malabsorption disorders were excluded. We measured the serum B12 levels, defining the deficiency as less than 149 ng/L. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to identify the predictors of B12 deficiency, adjusting for age, gender, and diabetes duration. Results Vitamin B12 deficiency was prevalent in 48.2% (67/139) of participants. Moreover, it was significantly higher in older patients (54.7% in the 46-60 age group vs. 13.6% in the 30-45 age group, p < 0.001) and those with longer durations of diabetes (72.8% with >5 years vs. 13.8% with 1-5 years, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference among genders (50.5% males vs. 42.9% females, p = 0.38). Analysis showed that being over 45 years old and having diabetes for more than 5 years are strong factors that predict vitamin B12 deficiency. Conclusions This study demonstrates a high burden of vitamin B12 deficiency among patients with DPN, which is strongly associated with age and duration of diabetes. Implementation of routine B12 screening protocols for patients with DPN, particularly those of old age or with prolonged duration of diabetes, may help prevent neurological deterioration in this vulnerable population.
背景 糖尿病周围神经病变(DPN)是糖尿病一种严重但可能可预防的并发症,尤其是在维生素B12缺乏的个体中。尽管有临床指南,但常规的B12筛查仍不一致,并且关于DPN人群中缺乏模式的基于医院的数据很少。本研究评估了巴基斯坦一家三级医疗中心DPN患者中B12缺乏的频率及其决定因素。
材料与方法 我们在白沙瓦的莱迪·里德医院(2022年8月至2025年3月)对139例年龄在30至60岁之间、确诊为2型糖尿病且患有DPN(密歇根神经病变筛查工具评分≥4)的患者进行了一项基于医院的横断面研究。排除先前接受过B12补充治疗或患有吸收障碍疾病的患者。我们测量了血清B12水平,将缺乏定义为低于149 ng/L。我们使用多变量逻辑回归模型来确定B12缺乏的预测因素,并对年龄、性别和糖尿病病程进行了调整。
结果 48.2%(67/139)的参与者存在维生素B12缺乏。此外,老年患者(46至60岁年龄组中为54.7%,而30至45岁年龄组中为13.6%,p < 0.001)和糖尿病病程较长的患者(病程>5年的患者中为72.8%,而病程1至5年的患者中为13.8%,p < 0.001)中维生素B12缺乏的比例显著更高。不同性别之间无统计学显著差异(男性为50.5%,女性为42.9%,p = 0.38)。分析表明,年龄超过45岁且糖尿病病程超过5年是预测维生素B12缺乏的重要因素。
结论 本研究表明DPN患者中维生素B12缺乏的负担较重,这与年龄和糖尿病病程密切相关。对DPN患者,特别是老年患者或糖尿病病程较长的患者实施常规B12筛查方案,可能有助于预防这一脆弱人群的神经功能恶化。