The burden of diabetic foot disease

Living with diabetic foot disease has a significant impact on a person’s quality of life.^1,2 People with diabetes are almost twice as likely to suffer from anxiety and depression as the general population.³ If you add diabetic foot disease to the equation, the burden on the patient, their families, the healthcare system and society at large only increases.⁴ In fact, research shows that the five-year relative mortality rate of those with diabetic foot disease is 48%.⁵

As a healthcare professional, you play an important role in reducing this burden. This section gives you a basic understanding of what causes diabetic foot ulcers and specific guidance on how to manage them.

Glossary of diabetic foot ulcer terms

Diabetes mellitus – a group of diseases that affect how the body uses blood sugar  (glucose).

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) – narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs.

Ischemia – lack of blood supply to a certain part of the body, which may cause tissue damage due to lack of oxygen and nutrients.

Buerger test – a two stage test designed to assess the adequacy of the arterial supply to the leg. With the patient supine, elevate both legs to an angle of 45 degrees and hold for one to two minutes. Observe the colour of the feet. (Pallor indicates ischaemia) Then sit the patient up and ask them to hang their legs down over the side of the bed at an angle of 90 degrees. In an ischemic leg the skin at first becomes blue, as blood is deoxygenated in its passage through the ischaemic tissue, and then red, due to reactive hyperaemia from post-hypoxic vasodilatation.