A new study found that Hispanic people have a higher risk of peripheral neuropathy than white people. It cannot be explained by health, lifestyle or social risk factors.
Peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage that causes numbness, tingling or pain in the hands and feet. It can lead to falls, infections or potentially amputation. It is often caused by unmanaged blood sugar concerns as well as illnesses, injuries and infections.
“In the United States, there is a higher prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among Hispanic and Black people than white people, and the underlying factors driving these differences are not well defined,” said study author Dr. Evan Lee Reynolds, of Michigan State Univ. “We looked at a wide range of known risk factors, including health, lifestyle and social factors, and found that Hispanic people still had a higher risk of neuropathy even after those risk factors were considered.”
The study used more than 8,000 people. It found that people with peripheral neuropathy were more likely to be older, with lower good cholesterol, blood sugar concerns and have higher systolic blood pressure. They generally had larger waist circumferences, ate less healthy fats and were less likely to have performed vigorous exercise.
After adjusting for health, lifestyle and social factors, including household income, food security and health insurance, some patterns became clearer. “After comprehensively adjusting for known risk factors, we found that Black people had similar odds of neuropathy compared to white people, whereas Hispanic people continued to be at an increased likelihood of having neuropathy,” said Dr. Reynolds. “Therefore, it is likely that unknown social risk factors exist for this population. Identifying additional risk factors for Hispanic people should be the focus of future studies.”
“Given the increasing percentage of Hispanic individuals in the United States, identifying the unmeasured risk factors of peripheral neuropathy among Hispanic individuals should be the focus of future observational studies,” researchers concluded.
Being aware of your risk factors is essential for taking control of your health. If you know that you are at a higher risk for a condition, you can be more aware of it. If you feel any numbness, pain, warmth or tingling in your extremities, you should contact your doctor immediately. You can also lower your risk of peripheral neuropathy by maintaining your blood sugar health, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and taking care of your hands and feet.
