The effectiveness of methylcobalamin in the complex treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

Background. Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), found in 30–90 % of patients. The relevance of the study is due to the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy, as well as assessing the effectiveness of the use of methylated form of vitamin B12 in the treatment of patients with DM. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of methylcobalamin (Diacobal, Kusum Pharm) in the complex treatment of patients with DM complicated by diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Materials and methods. The study was conducted by a simple open method. The Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), the Neurological Symptoms Score (NSS), the European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D) were used to screen and determine the severity of symptoms of DPN. The neurological examination of patients included an assessment of various types of sensitivity (pain, tactile, vibrational, cold, heat, proprioceptive, pressure sensation). Blood levels of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) were determined in all patients. Diacobal was added to the regimen of traditional treatment for DPN regardless of the levels of vitamin B12. Results. It was shown that DPN is a common complication of DM: according to subjective characteristics (MNSI and NSS scales), its symptoms were detected in 84.3 % of cases among DM patients. Subjective scales, such as EQ-5D, MNSI, NSS, are not enough to assess the presence and degree of polyneuropathy in DM patients. The data of these scales do not correlate with the results of a physical examination, but can be used as an auxiliary method for the analysis of subjective symptoms of a patient. A neurological examination is recommended for DM patients, regardless of whether they present active complaints. DPN was detected in 64.8 % of cases among diabetic patients according to objective criteria for the diagnosis and determination of various types of sensitivity (pain, tactile, vibrational, cold, thermal, proprioceptive, pressure sensation). Determining the level of cyanocobalamin should be used in conjunction with the determination of homocysteine and folic acid. Conclusions. The use of methylcobalamin (Diacobal in a daily dose of 1,500 μg for 3 months) in the complex treatment of diabetic neuropathy in diabetic patients is effective and safe, helps to eliminate the manifestations of diabetic neuropathy and improve the quality of life of patients.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• diabetic peripheral neuropathy
• vitamin b12
• diagnosis
• treatment