Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire is a self-administered region-specific outcome instrument developed as a measure of self-rated upper-extremity disability and symptoms. The DASH consists mainly of a 30-item disability/symptom scale. In this study, we aimed to evaluate DASH questionnaire in 1000 type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients.

Material and methods: 179 patients (mean age 51.73±9.06 years, 117 women and 62 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. Diabetic retinopathy was assessed by direct ophthalmoscopy. Urinary albumin excretion was determined in at least two 24 h urine samples. DASH questionnaire was administered to the diabetic patients. Direct measurements of parameters were performed with a Tanita body composition analyser. The bioimpedance parameters we measured were body fat percentage (%BF), total body fat (TBF) (kg) and BMI.

Results: The mean diabetic duration was 7.32±5.97 years. Dupuytren’s contracture was present in 6.1%, cheiroarthropathy in 11.2%, tinnel sign in 21.2% and tendinitis in 5%. Retinopathy was present in 17.9%, nephropathy in 17.3%. DASH score was 70.35±34.50. Mean BMI was 31.88±5.90. Mean TBF was 28.95±11.91 kg. Mean %BF was 33.93±10.10. There was positive correlation between DASH score and cheiroarthropathy, tinnel sign, tendinitis and Dupuytren’s contracture (P=0.009 r=196; P=0.002, r=246; P=0.001, r=299; P=0.028, r=164 respectively). There was positive correlation between DASH score and BMI and TBF and %BF (P=0,000, r=336; P=0.000, r=290; P=0.000, r=304 respectively). There was positive correlation between DASH score and diabetic nephropathy (P=0.028, r=164) No correlation was found between DASH score and diabetic retinopathy.

Conclusions: DASH questionnaire is useful instrument for measuring functional disability in upper extremity complaints of diabetes mellitus patients. It should also be taken into consideration in order to increase the quality of life in DM patients.