Causes of diabetic neuropathy
As the name suggests, the cause of diabetic neuropathy is by definition a diabetes disease. The nerve damage is based on a permanently elevated blood sugar concentration, as may be the case with untreated or poorly treated diabetes mellitus. The damaging effect is not due to the sugar (glucose) itself, but to one of its breakdown products, methylglyoxal.
This is further broken down in the body by certain enzymes, which are, however, overtaxed by permanently elevated blood sugar levels. In the long run, therefore, methylglyoxal accumulates, which upsets the finely regulated ion transport processes at the nerve cells and thus impairs their functionality.Research is currently being conducted on active ingredients that could lower the methylglyoxal level.
