What are the risk factors for diabetic neuropathy?

Hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), dyslipidemia (e.g. elevated blood triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol), and a high body mass index (BMI) are associated with an increased risk of diabetic neuropathy.^[1][2] In people with type 1 diabetes, additional risk factors for diabetic neuropathy include a greater age, a longer duration of diabetes, and cigarette smoking.^[3] Furthermore, people with deficiencies in vitamin D ^[4][5][6][7] or vitamin B12 ^[8] also have an increased risk of diabetic neuropathy. However, further investigation is needed to determine whether these factors directly cause diabetic neuropathy.