From a Pragmatic Clinical Staging of Distal Symmetrical Polyneuropathy to a Continuum of Diabetes Severity: New Ideas, New Challenges
Summary: In this editorial, Anastasios Tentolouris and Péter Kempler discuss two emerging frameworks: a pragmatic five-stage clinical staging system for distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSPN) and the broader Diabetes Severity Classification (DSC). These tools move beyond binary diabetes classification toward a continuum model that better reflects complication risk, enabling earlier identification of high-risk patients for intensified foot care and prevention strategies.
Key Highlights:
- New pragmatic DSPN staging system from early vulnerability to advanced ulceration risk
- Diabetes Severity Classification (DSC) as a multi-axial continuum model
- Strong potential to improve risk stratification and foot ulcer prevention
- Calls for validation and integration into routine clinical practice
Keywords: DSPN staging, diabetes severity classification, diabetic neuropathy staging