Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of the most frequently occurring hand complications in 1000 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Material and methods: patients (mean age 50±9.01 years, 34 women and 24 men) who had type II DM were included as a preliminary in this study. The presence of cheiroarthropathy, Dupuytren’s contracture, tinnel sign and tendinitis was assessed. All patients were evaluated also by the Rheumatology Division. Diabetic retinopathy was assessed by direct ophthalmoscopy. Urinary albumin excretion was determined in at least two 24 h urine samples.

Results: The mean diabetic duration was 6.67±5.08 (min: 1 max: 25) years. Dupuytren’s contracture was present in 5.2%, cheiroarthropathy in 15.5%, tinnel sign in 15.5% and tendinitis in 6.9%. Retinopathy was present in 10.3% nephropathy in 8.6%. Mean HbA1c was 8.54±1.89. Mean fasting glucose was 178.19±66.03 mg/dl. The mean urinary albumin excretion was 40.79±14.92 mg/day. Mean creatinine clearence was 104.78±33.98 ml/min. The relationship between these complications and patients’ age, sex, duration of diabetes and glycaemic control was also analysed. There was positive correlation between age and tendinitis and Dupuytren’s contracture (P=0.024, r=297 and P=0.020, r=305 respectively). There was positive correlation between diabetic duration and diabetic retinopathy (P=0.026, r=295). There was positive correlation between diabetic duration and cheiroarthropathy and tendinitis (P=0.044, r=268 and P=0.012, r=332 respectively). There was positive correlation between diabetic nephropathy and cheiroarthropathy and tinnel sign (P=0.00, r=547 and P=0.003, r=377, respectively). There was positive correlation between urinary albumin excretion and cheiroarthropathy and tinnel sign (P=0.00, r=632 and P=0.000, r=477, respectively).

Conclusions: Some musculoskeletal disorders are more prevalent in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and this may be associated with duration of diabetes. Also, the hand abnormalities were associated with the diabetic complications. Long-term prospective randomised controlled trials on preventing musculoskeletal complications and disability in diabetics are needed.