If I were to ask you what the number one complication is that puts diabetics in the hospital, what would you say? Circulation problems? Kidney problems? Heart problems? Actually, it's feet.
Foot problems are the number one cause of hospitalization in diabetics — and the number one cause of amputations. Last year, over 60,000 people in this country had their leg amputated due to diabetes. And once that first amputation occurs, there's a 50 percent mortality rate in the first year alone, and 85 percent of people die within five years.
So, is there a good answer to this problem? There actually is. It's been shown that if you do an in-depth exam of the feet once a year, to look for those risk factors that cause amputations, and do something about those risk factors, it can reduce by 85 percent the foot complications in diabetic patients. That's very significant.
For more information or to schedule your diabetic foot exam, give us a call at 804-320-FOOT (804-320-3668), or check out the links below. Please help us spread the word about this simple but lifesaving exam — If you know someone who has diabetes, please share this post with them using the social sharing icons at the bottom of this page.
- Diabetic foot care
- Sign up for our free seminar
- Appointments
- The Foot Blog (Read more posts by Dr. Waskin)
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