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Diabetes‐related lower‐extremity complications are a leading cause of the global burden of disability

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Globally ~435 million people have diabetes [1], and an estimated 19-34% (~83-148 million people) of those will be expected to develop foot ulcers in their lifetime [2]. Foot ulcers are typically precipitated by other diabetes-related lower-extremity complications, (DRLECs) including peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease [2,3]. Collectively, DRLECs are a leading cause of infection, hospitalization and amputation outcomes [2-5], yet, these outcomes are readily preventable with evidence-based care [6,7]. This suggests the burden caused by DRLECs is a large, yet reducible, cause of the global burden of disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Source: Diabetic Medicine

DOI: 10.1111/dme.13680

Authors: P. A. Lazzarini, R. E. Pacella, D. G. Armstrong, J. J. van Netten