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Midlife musculoskeletal symptoms increase, become more severe with type 2 diabetes
Middle-aged women with type 2 diabetes reported more severe musculoskeletal symptoms than women who did not have the condition, according to findings published in The Diabetes Educator.
“Type 2 diabetes silently but commonly causes musculoskeletal symptoms that are generally overlooked and poorly treated compared with cardiovascular, pulmonary and other type 2 diabetes-related complications,” You Lee Yang, PhD, RN, of the Mo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute of Yonsei University College of Nursing in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues wrote. “Care providers should be aware of possible musculoskeletal signs and symptoms in midlife women with type 2 diabetes to improve their quality of life.”
Yang and colleagues analyzed data from online questionnaires completed by 164 women aged 40 to 60 years (mean age, 49.88 years). In the questionnaires, participants reported information on demographics, their health and musculoskeletal symptoms and severity.
Compared with women with normoglycemia (n = 102), women with type 2 diabetes (n = 62) reported more musculoskeletal symptoms (mean, 2.07 vs. 3.69; P < .001)and had higher musculoskeletal symptom severity scores (mean, 6.04 vs. 12.19; P < .001). In addition, type 2 diabetes was positively associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and symptom severity, and menopause status did not alter the results.
“These findings suggest that loss of bone health and accompanying musculoskeletal symptoms occur relatively early in the premenopausal stage and persist for a long time,” the researchers wrote. “Therefore, strategies for preventing musculoskeletal problems are necessary for midlife women with type 2 diabetes.”
In analyses stratified by race, the researchers observed a difference in symptom severity scores between white women with vs. without type 2 diabetes; however, this difference did not persist across other races.
“Study findings allow diabetes educators and health care providers to better understand the association between type 2 diabetes and musculoskeletal symptoms in midlife women,” the researchers wrote. “Diabetes educators should assess musculoskeletal symptoms such as pain, numbness and stiffness when providing care and related education for midlife women with type 2 diabetes, as well as provide guidance for relieving musculoskeletal symptoms during menopausal transition.” – by Phil Neuffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.