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Croatian Medical Journal, Vol. 65 No. 2, 2024.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2024.65.85

Screening for diabetic peripheral neuropathy at community pharmacies in Slovakia

Zuzana Pagáčová ; 1 Department of Organisation and Management of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia *
Milan Grofik ; Department of Neurology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tomáš Fazekaš ; Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Viera Žufková ; Department of Languages, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Daniela Mináriková ; Department of Organisation and Management of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

* Corresponding author.

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Abstract

Aim To identify diabetic patients with a potential risk of developing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in community pharmacies in Slovakia using a modified Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument questionnaire (MNSIq-12).
Methods This cross-sectional study enrolled 703 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus who had
not been diagnosed with DPN. The study took place in selected community pharmacies across Slovakia in October
2019. The MNSIq-12 was administered by pharmacy students, and a Michigan score <1.5 was considered risky. The
groups divided based on the Michigan score were compared in terms of duration of diabetes, age, body mass index (BMI), sex, weekly physical activity, level of education,
and smoking.
Results The risk of developing DPN was detected in 6.6%
of respondents with type 1 diabetes and 13.4% with type
2 diabetes. Patients with both types of diabetes (38.2%;
67.0%) reported fatigue and heaviness in the legs as the
most common clinical symptoms that may indicate the
development of DPN. Those with a Michigan score <1.5
were older (P<0.0001), had a higher BMI (P<0.0001), a
lower level of education (P=0.0020), and were less physically active (P<0.0001).
Conclusion Approximately one-eighth of patients with
diabetes who visited community pharmacies were potentially at risk for developing DPN. The modified MNSIq-12
was shown to be a simple, time-effective, and non-invasive
indicative screening tool that can be applied in the environment of community pharmacies

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

331939

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/331939

Publication date:

30.4.2024.

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