Diabetic foot ulcer amputation rates may be rising again, especially among minorities
In short: A review of research on diabetic foot ulcers found that these common, preventable complications of diabetes carry a high lifetime risk, estimated at 19% to 34%, and often recur, with 65% of people affected again within three to five years. New data suggest overall amputation rates have risen by as much as 50% in some regions after years of decline, with the steepest rises among younger patients and racial and ethnic minority groups.
Amputation and death after a foot ulcer are late-stage complications tied to how well diabetes is managed, and the review notes that current care has not consistently lowered amputation rates even as disparities widen.
This is a narrative review of existing epidemiological studies rather than a new study, and its finding of rising amputations rests on preliminary trend data, so it cannot pinpoint exact causes of the disparities.
Why it matters: Diabetic foot ulcers remain a major, preventable source of harm, and amputation rates may be rising again, unevenly across groups.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: McDermott et al. (2022). Etiology, Epidemiology, and Disparities in the Burden of Diabetic Foot Ulcers. Diabetes Care.
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