Genetic Variants Influence the Development of Diabetic Neuropathy

Abstract

The exact mechanism by which diabetic neuropathy develops is still not fully known, despite our advances in medical knowledge. Progressing neuropathy may occur with a persistently favorable metabolic status in some patients with diabetes mellitus, while, in others, though seldom, a persistently unfavorable metabolic status is not associated with significant neuropathy. This might be significantly due to genetic differences. While recent years have brought compelling progress in the understanding of the pathogenetic background—in particular, accelerated progress is being made in understanding molecular biological mechanisms—some aspects are still not fully understood. A comparatively small amount of information is accessible on this matter; therefore, by summarizing the available data, in this review, we aim to provide a clearer picture of the current state of knowledge, identify gaps in the previous studies, and possibly suggest directions for future studies. This could help in developing more personalized approaches to the prevention and treatment of diabetic neuropathy, while also taking into account individual genetic profiles.

Keywords

• diabetic neuropathy
• risk factors
• genetic variants