Abstract
Introduction: In patients with diabetes mellitus, hand stiffness is a common symptom, and is called diabetic hand syndrome (DHS). We conducted an observational study to investigate the prevalence and clinical backgrounds of hand stiffness in type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Materials and Methods: In this single-center observational cross-sectional study, participants completed a questionnaire, with questions on morning stiffness of hands and history of rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). Laboratory data and status of complications were collected from the participants' medical records. We analyzed the prevalence and clinical background of hand stiffness between the T1D and T2D cohorts.
Results: Participants were 1,360 patients with T1D and 6,254 with T2D. The frequency of hand stiffness was significantly higher in the T2D cohort (18.6 %) than in the T1D cohort (16.1 %). In patients aged 50 years and older, a longer duration and higher prevalence of hand stiffness were found in the T1D cohort than in the T2D cohort. Among the T1D cohort, the frequency of hand stiffness was significantly higher in female than in male participants. Patients with hand stiffness were older and had a longer duration of diabetes than patients without this symptom. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, sex, and proliferative retinopathy were independent risk factors.
Discussion: It was found that T1D patients tended to have hand stiffness while young. By age group, hand stiffness was more common in the T1D cohort. Long-term exposure to hyperglycemia may cause this symptom.
Conclusion: T1D patients are likely to have hand stiffness at a relatively younger age. Since hand stiffness is more common among female patients, it is necessary to discriminate DHS from connective tissue diseases.
