September 22, 2000
Complications
Question from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia:
I am a young adult who has had diabetes since the age of six. I have had relatively good control over the years, but, recently, my control has suffered, and I had a quite high HbA1c result at the last test. Although I have good general health and circulation, I have neuropathy symptoms in my right leg and foot. I don’t have much pain, just discomfort from the pins and needles. This scares me a lot — enough to pay much more attention to my control, but I am worried about further nerve damage and want to minimise the chances. Other than correct footwear and good control, what steps can I take to minimise further nerve damage? Can human nerve endings be repaired? Do C-peptide replacement treatments hold any hope for this type of complication?
Answer:
So far, the only way to prevent further nerve damage is to optimize metabolic control as judged from HbA1c besides footwear, and other regular foot care. If the skin lesions are slow in healing, oxygen treatment in a pressurized chamber is an effective treatment. According to the latest research, it seems that nerve endings may be induced to regenerate and this offers hope for specific treatment. C-peptide is another promising approach, but still under scientific and clinical evaluation regarding to its effect on microcirculation of the nerves.
MS
