Assessment of Podiatric Disorders and Quality of Life in elderly diabetic patients with Diabetic Neuropathy

Introduction: Diabetic neuropathy is the most common chronic complication of diabetes. It is a heterogeneous condition including various types of nerve damage. The most prevalent form is symmetrical distal polyneuropathy, which is diagnosed clinically. It involves symmetric and bilateral impairment of nerves, mainly in the distal parts of the lower limbs. Pain associated with diabetic neuropathy is a major health issue and significantly impacts quality of life. The aim of our study is to examine podiatric disorders and quality of life in elderly diabetic patients with and without neuropathy. Patients and Methods: This is a case-control study involving 70 elderly diabetic patients (35 with neuropathy and 35 without), selected through non-probabilistic sampling over a 4-month period. Assessment included the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire, the DN4 score, and a complete clinical podiatric examination in an off-load podiatry assessment. Data entry and statistical analysis were conducted using SPSS version 25. Results: Our analysis revealed that elderly diabetic patients with neuropathy had significantly more comorbidities, trophic disorders, and podiatric issues. Comparison of average SF-36 scores and global quality of life scores between cases and controls showed significant differences across all assessed parameters. The overall score indicated a marked deterioration in both physical and mental health among cases compared to controls, with mean scores of 37.09 and 69.82, respectively (p