The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 1983
Comparative StudyPrevalence of autonomic disturbances in diabetics as compared with non-diabetics and healthy subjects.
The prevalence of autonomic disturbances in diabetics was investigated using a direct questionnaire. Compared to non-diabetics and healthy subjects, diabetics had a much higher incidence of paresthesia in the limbs (41%) and impotence (66%). ⋯ Other symptoms of autonomic disturbances in diabetics such as postural vertigo, abnormal sweating, diarrhea and constipation, abnormally cold or burning feet, itching, thirst, urinary bladder disturbance and libido decrease in females seemed to be non-specific for diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Paresthesia in the limbs, abnormally cold or burning feet, urine bladder disturbance and impotence were thought to be related to some degree to the duration, severity and complications of diabetes respectively.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 1983
A follow-up study of painful diabetic neuropathy: physical and psychological aspects.
Twenty-one patients with painful diabetic neuropathy were followed up for about 18 months by means of physical and psychological tests. Patients with painful diabetic neuropathy had significantly more neurotic, anxious and depressive traits than those with non-painful diabetic neuropathy. During the course of the study, 17 patients out of 21 were found to be relieved of their neuropathic symptoms with improved blood glucose control and medications. ⋯ However, lack of extroversion was not changed at all. Patients with painful diabetic neuropathy were significantly less extroversive than those with non-painful diabetic neuropathy, even when their neuropathic symptoms might have improved. This study shows that although nervousness, anxiety and depressive tendencies may be secondary to the symptoms of painful diabetic neuropathy, lack of extroversion can be a primary characteristic trait which may easily induce painful diabetic neuropathy.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 1983
The features of causes of death in Japanese diabetics during the period 1971-1980.
The principal causes of death among 9,737 diabetics who died in 280 hospitals all over Japan during the period 1971-1980 have been analyzed retrospectively in this study. The main cause of death in Japanese diabetics was vascular complications. The mortality from vascular complications was 41.5%, 37.9% for males and 46.8% for females, increasing with the duration of diabetes and with age. ⋯ Recently cancer has become more common in Japanese diabetics and 25.3% of the deaths have been assigned to it. In contrast, diabetic coma due to hyperglycemia accounted for only 4.1% of deaths. The average life span of Japanese diabetics is still over 10 years shorter than that of non-diabetics.