Evaluation of the Impact of Advanced Glycation End-Products on Peripheral Neuropathy Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes

<b>Background</b>: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) affects over 500 million people worldwide, and over 50% of this group experience the most common complication, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The presence of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) has been linked with the development of DPN. The present study assessed AGE levels in participants with type 2 diabetes and explored the hypothesis that there may be increased AGE levels in more severe DPN. <b>Methods</b>: A total of 124 participants with T2DM were consecutively recruited, and they underwent skin autofluorescence, clinical assessment for peripheral neuropathy, peripheral nerve ultrasound, nerve conduction studies, and axonal excitability assessment. <b>Results</b>: AGE accumulation showed weak but significant correlations with neuropathy severity and reduced nerve conduction function. However, after adjusting for confounding variables, a linear regression analysis did not reveal significant associations between the AGE levels and neuropathy outcomes. <b>Conclusions</b>: The present study suggests that the accumulation of AGE is not associated with the clinical, electrophysiological, and morphological measures of neuropathy in T2DM.