Smoking habits and painful diabetic neuropathy.

Full Abstract

In order to assess the relationship between chronic painful diabetic neuropathy and current--or lifetime--smoking habits, the smoking history of 49 diabetic patients was investigated and compared with that of 23 diabetic patients without chronic pain (age 51.0 +/- 1.9 years, mean +/- SEM). Current level of nicotine intake was measured using urinary cotinine (a nicotine metabolite), and expressed as cotinine/creatinine ratio (COT/Cr), and lifetime smoking load by pack years (20 cigarettes per day for 1 year equals 1 pack year). Current pain intensity was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The presence of chronic painful diabetic neuropathy was based on clinical history and examination. Of those patients with painful neuropathy, 26% were current smokers (age 54.2 +/- 3.2 years, mean +/- SEM), 31% ex-smokers (age 57.0 +/- 2.9 years), and 43% lifelong nonsmokers (age 58.0 +/- 2.9 years). Pain duration and intensity were similar in all three groups. COT/Cr levels were similar in current diabetic smokers with pain [5.0 (0.2-10.6) micrograms/mg] and the diabetic control group of smokers without pain [6.8 (1.8-13.3) micrograms/mg, NS]. There was no relationship between VAS and either COT/Cr levels or pack years in current smokers, or between duration of pain and pack years in diabetic current or ex-smokers. In conclusion, we found no relationship between current or previous levels of smoking and severity or duration of chronic painful diabetic neuropathy.

Author information

Author/s: Benbow, S J (SJ); Williams, G (G); MacFarlane, I A (IA);

Affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of diabetes and its complications (J Diabetes Complications), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: -1997 Nov-Dec; vol 11 (issue 6) : pp 334-7

Dates: Created 1998/02/05; Completed 1998/02/05; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 9365874, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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