The aims of the International Diabetic Neuropathy Consortium are to

1. increase the understanding of basic mechanisms and risk factors in diabetic neuropathy
2. improve the detection and understanding of the clinical course of nerve damage in diabetes
3. contribute to the prevention and treatment of diabetic neuropathy.

The four centers in the consortium will complement each other. Unique clinical and biobank data sources in Denmark together with new prospectively collected data will be used to identify risk factors for neuropathy and its complications. By integrating metabolomics done in the USA with carefully clinically phenotyped patients in the UK and Denmark, we can identify potential neuropathy targets and also engage in biomarker development. The existing databases and the close collaboration between the participating groups will ensure the feasibility of the project. A hypothesis of capillary flow disturbances in nerves will be explored with the goal to understand why only some patients develop painful or non-painful diabetic neuropathy.