Researchers from New York-based pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer Inc. and the American Diabetes Association recently completed a project titled Community Health Perspectives.
The projects focused on a multicultural survey aimed at evaluating shortfalls in the areas of awareness, diagnosis and management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which is more commonly known as diabetic nerve pain.
Diabetic nerve pain is marked by burning, shooting pains in the feet and hands.
“Diabetes-related complications are common and debilitating, and seven out of 10 general respondents diagnosed with diabetic nerve pain said that their nerve pain makes them feel like they are not successfully managing their diabetes,” Jane Chiang, American Diabetes Association's senior vice president for medical affairs, said. “Community Health Perspectives confirms the need for ongoing education to motivate more people living with diabetes and symptoms of diabetic nerve pain to visit their doctor and seek some pain relief.”
The survey showed the largest gaps occurred among African-American and Hispanic-American patients. It is a complement project to educational program Step On Up.
“I got involved with Step On Up because I saw firsthand how the pain impacted my father, who has type 2 diabetes and diabetic nerve pain,” Cedric the Entertainer, television and film personality, said. “Results from this survey show he’s not alone, especially in the African-American community. Nearly half of African Americans surveyed had not talked to a health care provider about their nerve pain in the feet or hands. I want to encourage people experiencing symptoms of diabetic nerve pain to take action and speak with a doctor about their pain.”
Community Health Perspectives used as subjects 1,000 adults living in the U.S. who were living with diabetes and had dealt with diabetic nerve pain. A staggering 76 percent of the respondents said they experienced nerve pain in their hands or feet most, if not all, of the time.
Finally, over half of the African Americans and Hispanic Americans who responded had not been formally diagnosed with diabetic nerve pain -- and over 50 percent of the African-American respondents said diabetic nerve pain had a negative effect on their everyday lives.
More information is available online at www.steponup.com.
