Long Time Suffering Influences The Occurrence of Diabetic Neuropathy

Abstract

Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication in diabetes mellitus sufferers. One of the factors that influence the occurrence of neuropathy complications is long-suffering because neuropathy occurs due to microvascular damage caused by the development of chronic disease. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between long suffering from diabetes mellitus and the incidence of diabetic neuropathy. This type of research is a descriptive correlation with a cross-sectional approach. The population in this study were all type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who visited the internal medicine polyclinic at Indramayu District Hospital. The number of samples used was 64 respondents taken using accidental sampling. Data was taken using an observation sheet. Meanwhile, data analysis used the Chi-square test. The result show that a total of 32 (50.0%) respondents had suffered from DM for ≥ 54 months (4.5 years), and 34 (53.1%) respondents had experienced neuropathy (Score 1-3). The results of the further analysis showed that P-value = 0.000 (α = 0.05; OR, namely 69.6), which means that there is a relationship between long suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus and the incidence of diabetic neuropathy. In conclusion, long-suffering from the disease is related to the incidence of diabetic neuropathy. Suggestions are directed to nurses to prevent the occurrence of diabetic neuropathy, especially in patients who have suffered from the disease for a long time by carrying out activities that can increase blood flow to the periphery, such as diabetic foot exercises.