Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies at Michigan Medicine, has been a regular visitor to the M.V. Hospital for Diabetes in Chennai, India, since her first trip there in 2014. She and Vijay Viswanathan, M.D., Ph.D., head & chief diabetologist of M.V. Hospital, recently published their first article together, which identified diabetes as the most important risk factor for neuropathy in an Indian population.
In contrast to other population-based studies, waist circumference was not associated with neuropathy. Whether the distribution of obesity affects nerves differently in Indian populations requires future studies with more precise measurements of the patients' bodies.
"This study found that as the number of components of the metabolic syndrome (a cluster of metabolic dysfunctions, which include obesity, as well as hypertension and high fat levels in the blood) increased, the prevalence of neuropathy also increased," said Dr. Viswanathan. "This highlighted the importance of finding out the relationship between the complications of diabetes and the various components of the metabolic syndrome which usually precedes diabetes."
A sitting member of the M.V. Hospital’s Board of Directors, Dr. Feldman is very pleased to welcome Dr. Viswanathan as an affiliate to the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies.
“India’s particularly strong clinical interest in diabetes has allowed me to really delve into my specialty: neurological complications of diabetes in both the feet and the brain,” said Dr. Feldman following her most recent visit to India in September 2019. “Dr. Viswanathan and I have influenced new patient care guidelines, and I’m excited to see what we’ll do next.”
Eva Feldman, MD, PhD
