• Gulin Findikoglu, Abdurrahim Altinkapak, Hakan Alkan, Necmettin Yildiz, Hande Senol, and Fusun Ardic.
• Gulin Findikoglu, Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pamukkale-Denizli, Turkey, gulin_dr@yahoo.com.
• Croat. Med. J. 2022 Dec 31; 63 (6): 544552544-552.

AimTo identify physical, cognitive, and metabolic factors affecting gait speed in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without neuropathy.MethodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled 71 diabetic patients without neuropathy (mean age 55.87±7.74 years, 85.9% women). Neuropathy status was assessed with Douleur Neuropathique 4. We used a cut-off point for gait speed of 1 m/s to classify the participants into two groups: slow walkers (SW) and average and brisk walkers (ABW). The groups were compared in terms of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max), percentage of muscle mass, percentage of lower extremity muscle mass, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, and years of education.ResultsCompared with the ABW group, the SW group had significantly lower VO2 max (14.49±2.95 vs 16.25±2.94 mL/kg/min) and MMSE score (25.01±3.21 vs 27.35±1.97), fewer years of education, and these patients were more frequently women (P<0.05). In the multivariate regression models, the combination of VO2 max, sex, and MMSE score explained only 23.5% of gait speed (P<0.001). MMSE score and VO2max independently determined gait speed after adjustment for age, BMI, HbA1c, fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, percent of muscle mass, percent of lower extremity muscle mass, and years of education.ConclusionIn diabetic patients without neuropathy, physical impairment and disability could be prevented by an improvement in aerobic capacity and cognitive function.

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