Causes of Diabetic neuropathy

List of causes of Diabetic neuropathy

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Diabetic neuropathy) that could possibly cause Diabetic neuropathy includes:

• Diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes - diabetic neuropathy
• Type 2 diabetes - diabetic neuropathy
• Alcohol use (type of Behavioral disorders)
• Problems controlling blood sugar levels
• More common in female patients
• Cigarette smoking
• Age more than 40 years
• High blood pressure
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Obesity
• Genetic risk

More causes: see full list of causes for Diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Diabetic neuropathy as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Diabetic neuropathy. Our database lists the following as having Diabetic neuropathy as a complication of that condition:

• Diabetes
• Diabetic Diarrhea
• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes

What causes Diabetic neuropathy?

Causes: Diabetic neuropathy: Diabetic sugar levels damage the nerves.
Article excerpts about the causes of Diabetic neuropathy:
Scientists do not know what causes diabetic neuropathy, but several factors are likely to contribute to the disorder. High blood glucose, a condition associated with diabetes, causes chemical changes in nerves. These changes impair the nerves' ability to transmit signals. High blood glucose also damages blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves. In addition, inherited factors probably unrelated to diabetes may make some people more susceptible to nerve disease than others.

How high blood glucose leads to nerve damage is a subject of intense research. The precise mechanism is not known. Researchers have discovered that high glucose levels affect many metabolic pathways in the nerves, leading to an accumulation of a sugar called sorbitol and depletion of a substance called myoinositol. However, studies in humans have not shown convincingly that these changes are the mechanism that causes nerve damage.

More recently, researchers have focused on the effects of excessive glucose metabolism on the amount of nitric oxide in nerves. Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels. In a person with diabetes, low levels of nitric oxide may lead to constriction of blood vessels supplying the nerve, contributing to nerve damage. Another promising area of research centers on the effect of high glucose attaching to proteins, altering the structure and function of the proteins and affecting vascular function.

Scientists are studying how these changes occur, how they are connected, how they cause nerve damage, and how to prevent and treat damage. (Source: excerpt from Diabetic Neuropathy The Nerve Damage of Diabetes: NIDDK)

Medical news summaries relating to Diabetic neuropathy:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Diabetic neuropathy:

• Diabetes in children demanding education
• Diabetic and complications
• Diabetic neuropathic pain alleviated with common nutrient
• More news »

Related information on causes of Diabetic neuropathy:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Diabetic neuropathy may be found in:

• Risk factors for Diabetic neuropathy
• Hidden causes of Diabetic neuropathy

Causes of Diabetic neuropathy: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Diabetic neuropathy.

Peripheral Neuropathy: Differential Overview
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)

❑ Diabetes

❑ Alcohol

❑ Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency

❑ Drugs

❑ Carcinomatous

❑ Lead

❑ Guillain-Barré

❑ Tabes dorsalis

❑ Syringomyelia

❑ Polyarteritis nodosa

❑ Amyloidosis

❑ Polymyositis

❑ Pellagra

❑ Arsenic

❑ Porphyria

❑ Wallenberg syndrome

❑ Thalamic lesion

❑ Brown-Sequard syndrome

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007