Prevention Of Diabetic Foot Disease Research Articles

Prioritizing the Prevention of Diabetic Foot Disease: We Each Have a Role to Play.

Individuals living with diabetes mellitus (DM) are at an increased risk for multiple serious health complications including diabetic foot disease (DFD). Daily, DFD contributes to increased morbidity, mortality, increased hospitalization, limb amputation, and reduced quality of life. Prevention of DFD is a foundational component of diabetes management. The purpose of this study was to explore how individuals manage the care required to protect their feet from DM related foot complications. This qualitative descriptive study utilized semi structured interviews to explore the perspectives of 23 participants on preventing foot care complications associated with DM. All data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants were challenged to consistently make health choices that were congruent with recommended DM self-management for the prevention of DFD. In addition, participants intuited multiple mixed messages from healthcare providers and workplaces that appeared to diminish their individual responsibility to self-manage their DM. Findings were organized under two main themes: a) Ineffective coping: Distancing self from disease b) Vacillating responsibility: Multiple mixed messages. Nurses are in a unique position to provide the education and support needed to assist individuals in carrying out the many recommended self-care strategies to reduce the risk of DFD. Contextually, nurses must encourage consistent messaging among health care providers and workplaces to prioritize the health needs of individuals living with diabetes and to support the challenging work these individuals must navigate every day. It will take a concerted effort to reinforce the message that diabetes care is a priority for everyone.

A Review on Newer Interventions for the Prevention of Diabetic Foot Disease.

Diabetic foot disease (DFD), which includes ulcers on the foot, infections, and gangrene of the foot, is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. About half of diabetic foot disease (DFD) patients have a recurrence in less than a year. To alleviate the burden of DFD globally, it is essential to give long-term medication to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. The effectiveness of telemedicine, wearable technologies, and sensors in DFD prevention is discussed in this review. Offloading footwear helps to cure and prevent ulcerated diabetic foot by distributing physical stress away from bony prominences. Sensors and wearables can record the temperatures of the foot, blood pressure (BP), and blood sugar levels and estimate lipid profile. These technologies have offered a practical means of reaching individuals in rural areas with a heightened risk of developing DFD. There is less need for in-person consultations with this strategy. This methodology is simple to operate and lessens reliance on patients. The benefits of adopting these remote monitoring approaches have been demonstrated in some studies with DFD-at-risk individuals. It is required to do more analysis to ascertain the effectiveness and value of incorporating different remote monitoring systems as part of an all-encompassing strategy to prevent DFD.

Assessment of Prevalence, Associations ,Knowledge, and Practices about Diabetic Foot Disease in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Background One in five adults in Sri Lanka has either diabetes or prediabetes, and one-third of those with diabetes are undiagnosed. Diabetic foot is a debilitating condition affecting up to 50% of patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The risk of nontraumatic lower limb amputations is 15 times higher in diabetic patients when compared with nondiabetics. Patient education about correct foot care practices is the cornerstone of prevention of diabetic foot disease. Objective To assess the prevalence of diabetic foot disease, knowledge, and practices about diabetic foot care among diabetic patients. Methods 334 patients attending the diabetic clinic in Colombo South Teaching Hospital were recruited according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using 3 questionnaires, and they were filled using the foot examination findings, patients' medical records, and direct interviewing of the patients. Results The mean age of the patients included in the study was 58.23 ± 10.65 years while the median duration of diabetes was 10.54 ± 7.32 years. 34.1% patients had peripheral neuropathy, and 29.5% had peripheral vascular disease. Diabetic foot disease according to the WHO definition was present only in 23 (6.9%) patients. There was a significant association between peripheral neuropathy and current or past foot ulcer which took more than 2 weeks to heal (p < 0.05). Knowledge about foot care was less among the studied population, and it was associated with poor foot care practices. Presence of diabetic foot and current or past foot ulcer which took more than 2 weeks to heal were significantly associated with the foot care knowledge and practices (p < 0.05) Conclusion Improvement of patients' knowledge about foot care and their practices have a significant impact on the reduction of diabetic foot disease.

2019 interpretation of the international guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetic foot diseases

In May 2019, the International Diabetic Foot Working Group (IWGDF) updated and issued guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetic foot disease. This guide puts forward some suggestions for the diagnosis, treatment and effective prevention of diabetic foot: the prevention of diabetic foot should start with high-risk foot, early screening and treatment of diabetic foot infection, foot ulcer and peripheral vascular disease and early comprehensive treatment. Effective prevention and early treatment can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in patients with diabetes, reduce the amputation rate and mortality, and improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients. Key words: Diabetic foot; Foot ulcer; Peripheral vascular diseases

Effectiveness of a Self-Foot-Care Educational Program for Prevention of Diabetic Foot Disease

Objective: To verify the effectiveness of a “self-foot-care educational program (SFCEP)” for prevention of type 2 diabetes foot disease. Methods: A single-center, randomized and controlled trial was conducted. Fifty-five patients with type 2 DM, 40 - 75 years of age who were asked to return for a follow-up hospital visit, were allocated to either an SFCEP group (n = 29) or a conventional education program (CEP) group (n = 26). Both of the groups were given foot-care education, monthly for four times in the SFCEP group and in the CEP group one time only by a printed leaflet. The two groups had no statistically significant differences in patient background of the type 2 diabetes history. We evaluated removal rate of skin debris, and the symptoms and conditions of the feet. Results: Between the SFCEP and CEP there were significant differences in removal rate of skin debris (p < 0.05), and the conditions of the feet, dryness (p < 0.001), horny tissue (p < 0.001) and peripheral coldness (p < 0.05). The SDCEP was significantly better than the CEP. Conclusion: This study strongly suggests the effectiveness of SFCEP in preventing the occurrence or worsening of diabetic foot diseases.

Statins may be useful in diabetic foot ulceration treatment and prevention

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) consist of an interaction of neuropathy, ischemia and infection. Neuropathy affects sensory, motor and autonomic pathways. Pathogenic factors for neuropathy include hyperglycemia, nonenzymatic glycosylation, oxidative stress, ischemic and hypoxic factors, nerve growth factor anomalies, activation of polyol pathway and immunologic abnormalities. All these factors are stated to contribute to microvascular disease and neural dysfunction. Peripheral neuropathy and ischemia combined with repetitive traumas can lead to diabetic foot ulceration. Fifteen percent of diabetic patients develop foot ulcers during their lifetime and nonhealing ulcers are responsible for 85% of nontraumatic lower extremity amputation. On the other hand, the treatment cost of foot disease in diabetic patients is estimated at $1 billion annually. When these conditions are considered, it is very important to design improved and novel strategies for treatment and prevention of diabetic foot disease. Lipid-lowering agents, such as statins, have been shown to prevent cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes. However, in addition, to preventing macrovascular diseases, statins may also be able to retard the progression of microvascular complications of diabetes. Statins alter the balance between vasodilatation and vasoconstriction in favor of vasodilatation by increasing nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, by downregulating endothelin 1 (ET-1) synthesis and reducing vascular response to angiotensin-2 (AT-2). These agents have been shown to augment cerebral blood flow by upregulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOs) and to reduce cerebral infarct size in a murine model of cerebral ischemia. In addition, recent in vivo and in vitro investigations have evidenced that statins have a favorable effect on diabetic peripheral neuropathy independent of its lipid-lowering effect by demonstrating restoration or preservation of microcirculation of the sciatic nerve. We hypothesized that statins can be useful for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot. Possible mechanisms include the reduction of neuropathy and ischemia or through growth factors, the effectiveness of which has been shown for fracture healing in animal models.