ObjectiveTo construct a prediction model of diabetics distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) based on neural network algorithm and the characteristic data of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. MethodsFrom the inpatients with diabetes in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from 2017 to 2022, 4 071 cases with complete data were selected. The early warning model of DSPN was established by using neural network, and 49 indicators including general epidemiological data, laboratory examination, signs and symptoms of traditional Chinese medicine were included to analyze the potential risk factors of DSPN, and the weight values of variable features were sorted. Validation was performed using ten-fold crossover, and the model was measured by accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and AUC value. ResultsThe mean duration of diabetes in the DSPN group was about 4 years longer than that in the non-DSPN group (P<0.001). Compared with non-DSPN patients, DSPN patients had a significantly higher proportion of Chinese medicine symptoms and signs such as numbness of limb, limb pain, dizziness and palpitations, fatigue, thirst with desire to drink, dry mouth and throat, blurred vision, frequent urination, slow reaction, dull complexion, purple tongue, thready pulse and hesitant pulse (P<0.001). In this study, the DSPN neural network prediction model was established by integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine feature data. The AUC of the model was 0.945 3, the accuracy was 87.68%, the sensitivity was 73.9%, the specificity was 92.7%, the positive predictive value was 78.7%, and the negative predictive value was 90.72%. ConclusionThe fusion of Chinese and Western medicine characteristic data has great clinical value for early diagnosis, and the established model has high accuracy and diagnostic efficacy, which can provide practical tools for DSPN screening and diagnosis in diabetic population.