A new study has found that neuropathy—a condition that causes nerve damage, pain, and numbness in the feet and hands—is very common and often goes undiagnosed.
The research was published on in the journal Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Neuropathy can lead to serious problems like balance issues, infections, and even the need for amputation. Dr. Melissa Elafros, one of the researchers from the University of Michigan, explained that about one in three people with neuropathy feels sharp, prickling, or electric shock-like pain.
This pain can lower a person’s quality of life and increase the risk of depression. Even more concerning, people with neuropathy have a higher chance of dying earlier—even when other health conditions are considered. So finding and treating neuropathy early is very important.
The study involved 169 patients from a clinic in Flint, Michigan, that mostly serves people on Medicaid. The average age of participants was 58 years old, and most (69%) were Black. Half of the people had diabetes, which is a known cause of neuropathy, and 67% had metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome includes belly fat and at least two of the following: high blood pressure, high triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), high blood sugar, and low levels of HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol. All of these are risk factors for neuropathy.
The researchers tested everyone for a specific type of neuropathy called distal symmetric polyneuropathy. They also gathered information about each person’s health. In total, 73% of participants had neuropathy. Even more alarming, 75% of those had never been told they had the condition. Almost 60% of the people with neuropathy were already feeling pain.
The researchers also found a strong link between neuropathy and metabolic syndrome. About 74% of the people with neuropathy had metabolic syndrome, compared to 54% of those without it. After adjusting for other possible causes, the team found that people with metabolic syndrome were more than four times as likely to have neuropathy as those without it.
The study also looked at whether race or income levels played a role in neuropathy risk. Surprisingly, there was no link between low income and neuropathy. For race, Black participants actually had a lower risk of neuropathy. Among those with neuropathy, 60% were Black, while 91% of those without neuropathy were Black.
Dr. Elafros said the high number of undiagnosed cases was shocking. She stressed that more needs to be done to help doctors find and treat this condition early. It is also important to help people manage the risk factors that lead to neuropathy, like diabetes and high blood pressure.
One limitation of the study is that it only looked at a single point in time. It did not follow people over the years to see who developed neuropathy or why some were unable to control their risk factors.
The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
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