PN risk factors explain higher prevalence among non-Hispanic Black individuals, but not Hispanic individuals
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Peripheral neuropathy (PN) risk factors seem to explain a higher prevalence of the disease among non-Hispanic Black individuals, but not among Hispanic individuals, according to a study published online July 16 in Neurology.
Evan L. Reynolds, Ph.D., from Michigan State University in East Lansing, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004 to examine associations between PN and race/ethnicity; other demographic information; and metabolic, lifestyle, and social determinants of health (SDOH) risk factors. Data were included for 8,014 individuals.
The researchers found that compared with White individuals, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals had higher age-adjusted and sex-adjusted odds of PN (odds ratios, 1.39 and 1.31, respectively). Women had significantly lower odds of PN compared with men after adjustment for age and race (odds ratio, 0.55). Non-Hispanic Black individuals had similar odds of PN to White individuals and men had similar odds to women after adjustment for metabolic, lifestyle, and SDOH factors. However, after adjustment for these comprehensive risk factors, Hispanic individuals maintained a significantly higher likelihood of PN (odds ratio, 1.32). Age, height, hemoglobin A1c, waist circumference, and lack of health insurance were associated with PN (odds ratios, 1.05, 1.03, 1.13, 1.011, and 1.49, respectively). Among Hispanic individuals, associations were seen for the percentage of caloric intake from saturated fatty acids and food insecurity with PN (odds ratios, 1.06 and 1.48, respectively).
“Identifying additional risk factors for Hispanic people should be the focus of future studies,” Reynolds said in a statement.
One author disclosed ties to DynaMed.
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