Impaired rate-dependent depression of the H-reflex in type-2 diabetes, prediabetes, overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional study

Type-2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, resulting from deficits in insulin secretion or insulin resistance. According to the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 463 million people suffered from this condition in 2019, with a rapidly increasing impact in low-and middle-income countries. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for diabetes, and current data project a continuous increase in diabetes prevalence worldwide in obese individuals. Among the common complications, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) causes sensory symptoms, including pain that contributes to foot ulceration, and if not controlled, limb amputation may occur. The diagnosis of DPN is a clinical problem. Rate-dependent depression (RDD) of the Hoffmann reflex in the lower limbs has been proposed as a test to determine the presence of neuropathic pain in subjects with type-1 and type-2 diabetes. Recently, impaired RDD has been described in obese and diabetic rodent models. In this study, we characterized the RDD by evaluating the H-reflex at 0.2, 1, 2, 5, and 10 Hz in 39 patients with type-2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 42 controls without diabetes, subsequently classified as overweight/obese and prediabetic. A significant decrease in the RDD of the H-reflex was found in T2DM subjects at 1, 2, 5, and 10 Hz (P < .001) stimulation frequencies compared to controls, but not at 0.2 Hz (P = .48). A major finding of this study is that impaired RDD was also found in 11/25 overweight and obese subjects in at least 2 stimulation frequencies, being 10 of those classified in prediabetic levels according to their HbA1C values. The RDD of the H-reflex could be used as a quantitative and sensitive tool to study T2DM subpopulations with peripheral neuropathy. RDD could be used as a screening tool in combination with clinical tests to diagnose DPN and evaluate the progression of this condition.