Current medical research and opinion
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Meta Analysis
The efficacy of pregabalin in patients with moderate and severe pain due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Objective To compare the therapeutic response to pregabalin in patients with moderate or severe painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN). Research design and methods Data were pooled from 11 placebo-controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin flexible or fixed dose (150, 300 or 600 mg/day) in pDPN patients with mean baseline pain scores of ≥4 to <7 (moderate) or ≥7 to ≤10 (severe). Last observation carried forward imputation was used. ⋯ Conclusions Pregabalin was effective in pDPN patients with both moderate and severe baseline pain. Patients with severe pain exhibited greater improvements in pain and PRSI than patients with moderate pain. Pain severity may, in part, predict therapeutic response to pregabalin.