Effects of Pain and Disability on Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetic Polyneuropathy

Diabetes is a common chronic disease with a prevalence of 8.3%. Diabetic neuropathy is a common neurological complication of the disease which interferes with the quality of life (QoL) of patients due to painful symptoms leading to disability. This study aims to evaluate the effects of diabetic neuropathy on disability and QoL. Sixty-two patients with clinical diabetic neuropathy were enrolled in the study. All underwent electrophysiological evaluations. Brief disability scale (BDS) and Short form-36 (SF-36) were used to evaluate disability and QoL of patients. Results revealed a negative correlation among increased pain quality assessment scale (PQAS), BDQ scores and QoL, emphasizing the interfering effect of pain on QoL of patients with diabetic neuropathy.