Obesity
Other than diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are also common and highly prevalent causes of peripheral neuropathy. The condition affects not only the absorption of essential vitamins and nutrients but also glucotoxic events, lipid signaling, and microbiome.
According to a study published by researchers from the University of Michigan, less-studied obesity and general obesity may be among the main drivers of neuropathy, thanks to the prevalence of the condition. The waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratios, and body mass index (BMI) are believed to increase the risk of diabetes and damage the peripheral nervous system. However, effective disease-modifying therapy is yet to be released because of the poor understanding of the underlying neurobiology related to the condition.
Like diabetes, obesity also affects and injures the peripheral and central nerves. Common symptoms include numbness, tingling, and pain which start from the toes and the feet and work their way up to the legs, knees, and hands. Like the other causative conditions of peripheral neuropathy, obese patients are also plagued with pain. The treatment plan usually involves bariatric surgery, pain management, metabolic alteration, and observation of the quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI).
