Effectiveness of hyaluronic acid and its derivatives on diabetic foot ulcer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed randomized controlled trials evaluating hyaluronic acid (HA) and its derivatives in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The authors found that HA use was associated with significantly higher complete healing rates and shorter healing times, without increasing adverse events. The analysis included 7 trials involving 444 patients and 456 ulcers.
Key Highlights:
- Healing rate improvement: HA use was linked to an odds ratio (OR) of ~3.92 for complete ulcer healing vs control.
- Faster healing: Time to healing was reduced (SMD ≈ –0.83) in HA-treated groups.
- Safety: No significant difference in adverse event rates compared to control treatments.
- Subgroup findings: Both HA alone and HA combined with autograft showed benefit, though heterogeneity was higher when autografts were involved.
- Limitations & future needs: Small number of trials, variable protocols, and moderate heterogeneity suggest need for larger, high-quality RCTs and standardization of HA formulations.
Read the full article on Frontiers in Endocrinology
Keywords:
Yao,
Xie,
Dai,
Huang,
hyaluronic acid,
diabetic foot ulcer,
meta-analysis,
clinical evidence