Diabetic foot ulceration: an avoidable complication

At present, more than 380 million people worldwide have diabetes. By 2035, this will rise to 592 million. Some 77% of these people live in low- and middle-income countries.1 In emerging countries, in particular, health-care services are often difficult to access, and finding suitable therapies for diabetes can be challenging. Inadequate treatment of diabetes leads to complications such as diabetic foot syndrome (DFS). For an individual with diabetes, the lifetime risk of developing foot ulcers is at least 15%.2 In western countries, DFS remains the most common reason for hospitalisation of patients with diabetes. In addition, DFS is the major cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation. This supplement aims to improve understanding of DFS and to present essential aspects of prevention, diagnosis and treatment … read more