Impact of Diabetic Foot Related Complications on the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQol) of Patients - A Regional Study in Spain

Abstract

The diabetic foot reduces the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study aims at ascertaining the impact of the etiological factors of the diabetic foot on the various aspects of HRQoL. This is a comparative study involving type 1 or type 2 (n = 421) diabetic patients divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 258) includes diabetic patients without foot lesions and group 2 (n = 163) includes patients suffering from a diabetic foot ulcer. The HRQoL of the sample was assessed by using the SF-36 Health Questionnaire. The overall HRQoL score was 68.58 ± 18.24 in group 1 and 50.99 ± 18.98 in group 2 (P < .001). The diabetic foot-related etiological factors that significantly reduce these patients' HRQoL are neuropathy, amputation history, and poor metabolic control (P < .001). Quality of life was lower in women with diabetic foot than in men. Neuropathy--regarded as the main etiological factor in the diabetic foot--also proved to be a variable that reduces the HRQoL. Paradoxically, peripheral vascular disease did not prove to have a negative impact on the quality of life.

Illiteracy and diabetic foot complications

“…These complications are a frequent reason of hospital admission and impose excessive distress and expenses [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Diabetic neuropathy and vasculopathy can lead to loss of foot sensation, foot deformities (resulting in pressure points and ulcerations), increased susceptibility to infections (including osteomyelitis), and gangrene.…”

Health-Related Quality of Life Predicts Major Amputation and Death, but Not Healing, in People With Diabetes Presenting With Foot Ulcers: The Eurodiale Study

“…Studies that investigate HRQoL in patients with DFU mostly use the generic Rand SF-36 (30)(31)(32), sometimes in combination with a disease-specific scale (29). In contrast, EQ-5D is more used in studies on diabetes in general and its complications (33)(34)(35).…”

Monochromatic Infrared Photo Energy in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

“…DPN represents a huge economic burden to the health care system and is prevalent worldwide [2]. Peripheral neuropathy is also linked to substantial reductions in the quality of life, and the condition is associated with diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases, chemotherapy, alcohol abuse, infection, environmental toxins or drugs, scar tissue formation following surgery or radiation, as well as idiopathic causes [3,4]. Approximately 15% of the population over 40 years of age experiences peripheral neuropathy, and, in those with diabetes, the prevalence is approximately 29% [5].…”