Add-on Vitamin E in Improving Treatment Outcomes in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Prospective Interventional Study

Abstract

Background: Neuropathy is one of the most common long-standing complications of diabetes, affecting over 50% of the diabetic individuals. Managing DPN and its complications involves comprehensive care and a multidisciplinary approach. Besides pharmacological treatments, botanicals and dietary supplements that have also been found to improve symptoms of DPN without affecting glucose control. The possible role of vitamin E in the management of DPN have been postulated in various studies. The present study thus aimed to prospectively assess whether add-on treatment with vitamin E can improve treatment outcomes in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Methods: The study included newly diagnosed patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy for a period of initial two months. Patients were randomly allocated to either standard treatment Group (Group A) or the interventionGroup (Group B). As a part of intervention, patients received vitamin E 400mg once daily in addition to thestandard of care. Efficacy Parameters measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months included changes in visual analog scoring, mean pain score, brief pain inventory and patient’s global impression of change. Treatment safety, quality of life and treatment adherence was assessed. Data was statistically analysed.Result: The study included a total of 100 patients, 50 patients in each Group. Significantly higher decrease of glycaemic measures was noted for Group B compared to Group A in terms of PPPG and serum creatinine, however, there was comparable change in HbA1c and FPG for both Groups. There was comparable significant reduction in mean VAS scoring at 6 and 12 months for Group B. Considering all the efficacy measures, there was highest reduction for the pain interference in the intervention arm (Group B), in comparison to Group A. (p<0.001). Quality of life measures and mean adherence scoring significantly increased for treatment group B as compared to A at both 6 months and 12 months of study assessments. No major safety concerns were reported during the study period.Conclusion: Our study noted that addition of vitamin E as an added supplementation to the standard of careshowed benefits in terms of patient reported reduced pain interference and pain perception, which also significantly improved overall quality of life in these patients.