Published Paper Details:

Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) affects nearly a quarter of people with diabetes, impacting over 100 million individuals worldwide. Despite its high prevalence, PDPN is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, leading to impaired daily functioning, depression, sleep disturbances, financial instability, and a decreased quality of life. The pain associated with PDPN is complex, intertwined with poor sleep and low mood, necessitating a holistic patient-centered approach alongside pharmacological therapy. Managing patient expectations is a significant challenge, as successful treatment outcomes typically involve a 30-50% reduction in pain, and complete pain-free outcomes are rare. While the past two decades have seen a lack of new analgesic agents for neuropathic pain, the future holds promise with over 50 new molecular entities reaching clinical development and showing benefits in early-stage trials. This review comprehensively examines the current approaches to diagnosing PDPN, available tools and questionnaires for clinicians, international guidelines on PDPN management, and existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options. The synthesis of evidence and guidance from reputable organizations provides a practical guide to treating PDPN. Emphasis is placed on the necessity for future research into mechanistic-based treatments to prioritize the development of personalized medicine in addressing this challenging condition.