Age and cholesterol emerged as decisive predictors of diabetic neuropathy in adults with T2DM. The study in Cardiovascular Diabetology – Endocrinology Reports assessed the long-term determinants of neuropathy in T2DM.

The hospital-based retrospective longitudinal study reviewed medical records from 2012 to 2021. Simple random sampling identified eligible adults with T2DM who received routine care. Time-to-event analysis applied Cox regression to estimate predictors of neuropathy, and model fitness was verified using Cox-Snell residual assessment.

The incidence density of diabetic neuropathy reached 3.56 cases per 1,000 person-months of observation. The median time to neuropathy onset was 105 months. Advancing age increased neuropathy risk with an adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of 1.03, and total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL increased risk with an AHR of 2.52. Both predictors achieved statistical significance.

The findings indicate that older age and hypercholesterolemia significantly influence the development of neuropathy in T2DM. Routine cholesterol monitoring and targeted risk management may help delay or reduce neuropathy progression.