A new study in Reviews in Neurological Disorders notes that patients with diabetic neuropathy may achieve improved cutaneous sensation by taking a combination of L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in a prescription food supplement called Metanx (Pamlab).
Researchers studies 20 patients with type 2 diabetes who Metanx twice a day for four weeks. The study says patients experienced statistically significant improvements in tactile and discriminatory static testing at the left and right great toe and in the heel. Authors noted the greatest improvement occurred between baseline and one year treatment.
The combination of L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate provides patients with the benefits of increased nitric oxide production and increased flow mediated dilation, according to lead study author Mackie Walker, Jr., DPM. He says the supplement improves endothelial function, addressing the postulated underlying pathophysiology of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
When one considers the true cost of the symptomatic treatment medication regimes, such as pregabalin (Lyrica, Pfizer) and duloxetine (Cymbalta, Eli Lilly), Dr. Walker says Metanx is very affordable.
"Since diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the leading cause of amputation, the opportunity to reverse or even slow down the progression of this provess is of tremendous benefit to the cost burden of diabetic peripheral neuropathy to the healthcare system overall," says Dr. Walker.
Dr. Walker also adds that patients tolerate Metanx as well placebo. He notes that of the thousands of patients he has placed on Metanx, only a handful of his patients could not tolerate the medication.
"The journey of life is taken one step at a time... none of them should be painful." G.M. Barclay, DPM
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