Year: 2003
Type: editorial
Abstract: Diabetic foot ulceration is a serious and expensive complication with considerable morbidity that affects up to 15% of diabetic patients during their lifetime; moreover, ∼80% of amputations are preceded by foot ulcers (1). Despite these facts, Mason et al. (2) concluded in their systematic review of treatments for foot lesions that the evidence base for treatments is poor. Furthermore, they criticized the majority of published trials of potentially promising treatments for neuropathic ulcers as being small, inadequately powered, and failing to use standardized methods and outcomes.
It is therefore refreshing to read the work of Kalani et al. (3) in this issue of Diabetes Care . In a well-designed controlled trial, patients with neuroischemic ulcers were randomized to receive daily subcutaneous low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or placebo. Those randomized to LMWH had significantly better outcomes with respect to healing rates and amputation. There are also potentially exciting new treatments for ischemic limbs in diabetes (4,5). Therapeutic …
Source: Diabetes Care
Authors: Andrew J. M. Boulton, David G. Armstrong
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2145289684