Frequency of hand and shoulder symptoms in T1diabetes — ASN Events
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  3. Frequency of hand and shoulder symptoms in T1diabetes

Frequency of hand and shoulder symptoms in T1diabetes (#263)

Yogesh Raje 1 , Grant Turner , Peter Davoren 1
  1. Gold Coast Hospital, Southport, QLD, Australia

Introduction – Patients with T1DM have higher prevalence of joint symptoms in upper limbs.1,2 Exact prevalence of these symptoms and subset of diabetic patients developing them is not well known.

Aim- Characterise frequency of joint symptoms in T1DM patients and determine which patients develop symptoms.

Methods – We invited patients with TIDM to complete a survey scoring upper limb joint symptoms on a visual analog scale. Pain, stiffness and functional difficulty in shoulder and joints of hand were assessed. Non-diabetic family or friends completed control surveys.

Results - 131 patients and 74 age and sex matched controls completed surveys. TIDM patients had higher symptom scores than controls (25 (0 – 208) vs 12 (0 – 145), median (range), p< 0.001). Male patients had similar scores to female patients (19 (0 – 208) vs 35 (0 – 168), P= 0.31). Patients with longstanding diabetes had higher scores than those of shorter duration (63 (0 – 208) vs 46 (0 – 168) vs 17 (0 – 143)). Patients with diabetic nephropathy had higher scores (103 (0 – 173) vs 22 (0 – 208). Blood glucose control nor age at diagnosis predicted higher scores.

Discussion- Joint symptoms in T1DM patients occur with longer duration of disease. Previous surveys of joint symptoms have not specifically investigated only T1DM patients. Some authors have suggested an association with neuropathic complications. We have not demonstrated any association with blood glucose control using a 5 year mean HbA1c.

Conclusion- Upper limb joint symptoms in T1DM patients are common and are predicted by duration of diabetes and possibly nephropathy. Blood glucose control does not appear to be associated with development of symtoms.

References-
1. Mota M, Panus¸ C, Mota E, Sfredel V, Patras¸cu A, Vanghelie L, et al.
Hand abnormalities of the patients with diabetes mellitus. Rom
J Intern Med 2000–2001;38 –39:89 –95.
2. Cagliero E, Apruzzese W, Perlmutter GS, Nathan DM. Musculoskeletal
disorders of the hand and shoulder in patients with diabetes
mellitus. Am J Med 2002;112:487– 490.