Diabetic toe nails

Type 1 and LADA
#1

So as I’ve aged a little I’ve noticed my toenails getting a little yellower and they are rougher.
I talked to my doc about it. He said there is no fungus I’m 54 so it’s part of aging
It’s just expected in people with diabetes even more so although I’ve never really seen any data about this.
So 6 months ago I got a new pump and cgm.
My control is much tighter and I’m getting a1c that are under 6 . I got a 5.9 and a 5.8 and a 4.9. Although I’m thinking the 4.9 might be an anomaly.

So I noticed my toe nails have a line through the center old growth verses new. The new growth is white clear and smooth.
I think the tight control has made a huge difference.
Although I never expected it.
My fingernails are unchanged.
I’ll post a pic later if anyone wants to see what tight control can buy you.
Has anyone else noticed this. ? Historically my a1c has been around 7.0

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#2

I haven’t seen it in many years, but when I was younger I could see it in my fingernails. Oddly enough, never my toenails. My fingernails have always grown freakishly fast, and I could tell when I’d gotten lazy because there would be weird ridges that I hated in my nails. Like, they just didn’t grow at all on the days/weeks I stopped being responsible, and would leave a really ugly dent. I haven’t seen that since I was running higher than 8, though.

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#3

Timothy

Here is a nice link about nails and diabetes.

#4

Wow that’s more info about nails than I expected to see in one place. Looks like they talk about diabetes more than any other issue

#5

There are MANY reasons that new nail growth is different. For example, with no other changes in diet, diabetes management or anything else, my nails (all) became ridged (longitudinally), soft, and were splitting at leading edge despite my tending to them - trimming as much as possible, applying cyanoacrylate (instant) glue, even latex-y finger cots.

It was due to my cancer chemo regimen and the effect showed for months after the end of chemo.

Many also note dietary intake of a couple of the basic vitamins C & D, and certain minerals in human nutrition affect nail appearance, etc.

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#6

Interesting.

#7

I also suddenly noticed this a few years ago. Buffing the ridges helped but one nail still split. Then COVID came and I began taking vitamin D and zinc supplements. This seemed to clear up the ridges and nail split.