The Association Between Physical Activity and Peripheral Neuropathy in Diabetic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study From Saudi Arabia

Background Peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is a serious consequence of diabetes mellitus (DM) that can impair quality of life and result in physical disability. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity and the severity of PDN among a sample of Saudi diabetic patients in Medina city, Saudi Arabia. Methodology A total of 204 diabetic patients participated in this multicenter, cross-sectional study. A validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically to patients on-site during follow-up. Physical activity and diabetic neuropathy (DN) were assessed using the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the validated Diabetic Neuropathy Score (DNS), respectively. Results The mean (SD) age of the participants was 56.9 (14.8) years. The majority of the participants reported low physical activity (65.7%). The prevalence of PDN was 37.2%. There was a significant correlation between the severity of DN and the duration of the disease (p = 0.047). Higher neuropathy score was noticed in those with hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) level ≥7 compared to those with lower HBA1c (p = 0.045). Overweight and obese participants had higher scores compared to normal-weight participants (p = 0.041). The severity of neuropathy decreased significantly when the level of physical activity increased (p = 0.039). Conclusions There is a significant association between neuropathy and physical activity, body mass index, duration of diabetes mellitus, and HbA1c level.