What is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy in the world?
Diabetes mellitus.
Approximately 150 million people have diabetes and up to half of them have symptomatic diabetic neuropathy.
The prevalence of diabetes is increasing every year.
Alcoholic neuropathy is the second most common cause of peripheral neuropathy.
Therefore, all patients with distal symmetric polyneuropathy should be screened for diabetes mellitus as well as unhealthy alcohol use.
Leprosy was once the most common cause of neuropathy worldwide, but its incidence has dramatically decreased since 1982.
