RESUMO
Introduction: This study was undertaken to investigate whether sustained rather than a single measure of corneal nerve loss was associated with the onset of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and the progression of neuropathic symptoms and deficits in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Participants underwent clinical, metabolic testing and assessment of neuropathic symptoms, vibration perception threshold (VPT), sudomotor function, and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) at baseline, 1, 2, and 4-7 years. Sustained corneal nerve loss was defined as abnormal corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD, <24 fibers/mm2), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD, <21 branches/mm2), and corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL, <16 mm/mm2) persisting for ≥50% of the study duration. Results: A total of 107 participants with a mean duration of T2D of 13.3 ± 7.3 years, aged 54.8 ± 8.5 years, underwent baseline and follow-up assessments over a median duration of 4 years, ranging from 1 to 7 years. The DPN prevalence at baseline was 18/107 (16.8%), and of the 89 participants without DPN at baseline, 13 (14.6%) developed DPN during follow-up. Approximately half of the cohort had sustained corneal nerve damage, and corneal nerve measures were significantly lower in this group than those without sustained damage (p < 0.0001). Sustained corneal nerve damage was associated with the development of DPN (p < 0.0001), a progressive loss of vibration perception (p ≤ 0.05), an increased incidence of burning pain, numbness, or a combination of both (p = 0.01-0.001), and a borderline association with progressive sudomotor dysfunction (p = 0.07). Sustained abnormal CNFL effectively distinguished between participants who developed DPN and those who did not (AUC: 76.3, 95% CI: 65.9-86.8%, p < 0.0001), while baseline and other sustained measures did not predict DPN onset. Conclusion: Sustained abnormal CCM is associated with more severe corneal nerve damage, DPN development, and the progression of neuropathic symptoms and deficits. Regular CCM monitoring may enable the identification of those at greater risk of developing and worsening DPN who may benefit from more aggressive risk factor reduction.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) during pregnancy is associated with better glycemic control in women with T1DM. However, no clear benefits have been demonstrated in reducing adverse feto-maternal outcomes in pregnant women with T1DM. DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center study of pregnant women with T1DM to evaluate the impact of CGM use on glycemic control and feto-maternal outcomes in pregnant women with T1DM. RESULTS: Of 265 women with T1DM, 92 (34.7%) used CGM, and 173 (65.3%) were managed with capillary blood glucose (CBG) monitoring. The mean (SD) age and BMI at the first visit were 29.4 (4.7) years and 27.2 (5.2) kg/m2, respectively. The mean (SD) HbA1c at the first-trimester visit was 63 (1) mmol/mol, and in the last trimester was 51 (1%). There was no difference in the mean changes in HbA1c between the two groups. Women using CGM had lower insulin requirements (1.02 + 0.37 vs. 0.87 + 0.04 units/kg, p = 0.01). The two groups had no significant differences in maternal or fetal outcomes. CONCLUSION: CGM use in pregnant T1DM women is not associated with improved fetomaternal outcomes.