Our goal was to evaluate pain severity, pain-related interference with function, sleep
impairment, symptom levels of anxiety and depression, and quality of life among patients
with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Participants in a burden of illness
survey (n = 255) completed the modified Brief Pain Inventory-DPN (BPI-DPN), MOS Sleep
Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short Form Health Survey-12v2
(SF-12v2), and the EuroQoL (EQ-5D). Patients were 61 +/- 12.8 years old (51.4% female),
had diabetes for 12 +/- 10.3 years and painful DPN for 6.4 +/- 6.4 years. Average
and Worst Pain scores (BPI-DPN, 0-10 scales) were 5.0 +/- 2.5 and 5.6 +/- 2.8. Pain
substantially interfered (>or=4 on 0-10 scales) with walking ability, normal work,
sleep, enjoyment of life, mood, and general activity. Moderate to severe symptom levels
of anxiety and depression (HADS-A and HADS-D scores >or=11 on 0-21 scales) occurred
in 35% and 28% of patients, respectively. Patients reported greater sleep problems
compared with the general U.S. population and significant impairment in both physical
and mental functioning (SF-12v2) compared with subjects with diabetes. The mean EQ-5D
utility score was 0.5 +/- 0.3. Greater pain levels in DPN (mild to moderate to severe)
corresponded with higher symptom levels of anxiety and depression, more sleep problems,
and lower utility ratings and physical and mental functioning, (all Ps < 0.01). Painful
DPN is associated with decrements in many aspects of patients' lives: physical and
emotional functioning, affective symptoms, and sleep problems. The negative impact
is higher in patients with greater pain severity.