Perfil epidemiológico e fatores de risco para neuropatia diabética periférica em idosos usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that requires permanent monitoring and blood glucose control to avoid complications such as diabetic neuropathy. Objective: Tracing the epidemiological and functional profile to verify the risk factors for peripheral diabetic neuropathy in elderly people with type 2 diabetes. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study of a quantitative nature was carried out data base collected in the initial assessment of the research participants, from the specialized services in care for people with diabetes: Specialized Health Care Center and the Endocrinology and Metabolism Service of the University Hospital Lauro Wanderley, located in the city of João Pessoa, Paraiba, from March to June of 2021. Participants were recruited by convenience and divided into two groups: Group without neuropathy (GSN) with n=44 and Group with neuropathy (NCG) with n=35. After formal consent, data were collected through physical therapy assessment, specially designed for the study. Then, the following instruments were applied: the Berg Balance Scale and the Tinetti Scale, in addition to the Functional Reach Test, the Timed Up and Go, the Mini Mental State Examination. Data were tabulated through double data entry. To present the frequency distribution of variables, measures of central tendency and the Chi-square test were used, for differences in proportions, and the Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test for linear trends between categorical variables. In all analyses, a confidence level of 95% (p < 0.05) was considered. The EPI-INFO software and the IBM SPSS Statistics Base 22.0 statistical package were used. Results: The sample consisted of 79 participants of both genders, aged between 60 and 82 years, with the most prevalent age group between 60-69 years (p < 0.001). The female gender was predominant (p < 0.001). Related to education level, 59.5% completed elementary school (p < 0.001). The presence of neuropathy was identified in 55.7% of this population (p < 0.001). Overweight/obesity I was found in 77.2% of the sample (p < 0.001). The association of diabetes with arterial hypertension was observed in 84.8% of the participants (p < 0.001). The glycemic level of the participants (77.2%) was between 127 and 199 mg/dL (p˂0.001). Conclusion: It was found that the epidemiological profile was consistent with that found in the literature and that the GCN showed greater impairment in balance and gait tests than the GSN, showing that the risk factors related to diabetic neuropathy are not restricted to sensitivity, but have greater clinical evidence in dynamic motor control