Prevalence of pain and literacy in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in Portugal: the REGENERAR registry study.

Abstract

Aim: The REGENERAR registry study aimed to assess the prevalence of pain among Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) patients and to evaluate their health literacy and quality of life.

Methods: REGENERAR was a prospective, multicentric registry study conducted in primary healthcare units across Portugal. Adults with DPN were enrolled between April and September 2023. Sociodemographic and clinical information, including pain, neuropathic pain, literacy and quality of life were collected at inclusion visit (V1) and end-of-study visit (V2).

Results: The study enrolled 127 patients, 120 of whom completed V2. At V1, 77.5% of participants reported pain (61.7% at V2, p < 0.001), with neuropathic pain prevalence, assessed by clinical findings and result of DN4 questionnaire, being 48.3% at V1 and 46.7% at V2. Patient literacy on pain as a diabetes mellitus symptom improved from V1 to V2. Quality of life remained stable but suboptimal, with a median score of 70/100 on the EQ-5D-5L scale.

Conclusion: The REGENERAR registry highlights a high prevalence of pain among DPN patients in Portugal, exceeding international figures, but consistent with literature concerning neuropathic pain. It also identifies critical gaps in both patient and healthcare provider literacy. Addressing these gaps could improve disease management and quality of life.