Happy Foot Health Month! This month we wanted to bring your attention to our published diabetes foot study. Throughout February 2018 to April 2019, our LMC chiropodists saw over 5,000 patients with type I and type II diabetes to thoroughly assess their feet and provide foot health education. We are very proud to announce that this study was published in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes, and was the first study to show just how prevalent foot pathologies are in those with diabetes in such a large population.
As your may be aware, the lower limb complications related to diabetes, significantly contributes to patient morbidity and health-care costs in Canada. Our study confirmed 2-decades-old knowledge that there’s a high prevalence of early (and manageable) foot diseases, many of which can lead to more serious outcomes such as foot ulcers. We were able to show the prevalence of neuropathy among the diabetic population, and we also showed, for the first time, that even toenail thickening is an independent predictor of ulcer risk; doubling the risk for those with diabetes.
Most importantly, our study showed that in relation to prior studies, the prevalence of these early “warning sign” foot diseases in healthy people with diabetes is actually increasing, rather than decreasing.
If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, we recommend you to read our full study article ‘Prevalence and Risk Evaluation of Diabetic Complications of the Foot Among Adults With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in a Large Canadian Population (PEDAL Study)’ found below.
Please note that it is also recommended to have your feet checked by a chiropodist at least once per year to ensure your feet are in good health.
Your feet are important to your overall health. If you take care of your feet, your body will thank you.