School of Podiatric Medicine Publications and Presentations

The Effects of Capsaicin on Vascularization in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: A Literature Review

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder affecting 11.6% of the United States population and 43.95% of the population in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A common complication of diabetes mellitus is neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that affects as many as half of the people with this condition. Vascular factors and metabolic interactions are major influencers of the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. This literature review evaluates the therapeutic role of capsaicin, a known component of capsicum pepper, commonly used as a treatment for neuropathic pain. However, several studies show that in addition to pain management, capsaicin counters ischemic damage and aids in vascular reperfusion via the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor and the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway.

A review of the current literature on the uses of capsaicin yielded notable data about the effects of injectable, topical, and transmucosal administration on systemic vascularization in human and animal models, but no studies explore the role of injectable capsaicin on lower extremity vascularization on high risk patients such as those with DM. Further research and better comprehension may contribute to developing pharmacological therapies that provide targeted and effective treatment for the sequelae of DM, which could be beneficial in preventing or reducing amputation rates.

First Page

11

Last Page

15

Publication Title

National Foot & Ankle Review

Academic Level

faculty

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