People with diabetic foot need to be more careful about their health as it can cost them life. Such people have higher chance of dying earlier than those suffering from just diabetes, say experts.

A study that assessed 3,619 events of all-cause mortality found there were an additional 58 deaths per 1,000 each year of patients with diabetic foot ulcer. According to Srujal Shah, vascular surgeon at Care Institute of Medical Sciences, DFUs are sores or wounds on the foot and often a strong indicator of advanced diabetes. Most commonly, these wounds occur on the bottom of the foot under pressure points (like the ball or toes). The presence of a wound is serious because bacteria may lead to infection. Signs of an infection are redness, swelling and pus."

Up to 25% patients with diabetes develop foot ulcer. More than half of the ulcers become infected, and 20% of infections result in amputation.

Up to 25% patients develop foot ulcer. Half of which become infected and 20% of this result in amputation, says study

According to the study, diabetes contributes to approximately 80% of all non-traumatic amputations performed yearly. After a major amputation, 50% of people have their other limb amputated within two years.

"People with a history of DFU have 40% greater chance of dying 10 years earlier than people with diabetes alone. DFU doubles death rate and heart attack risk while increasing the risk for stroke by almost 40%," said Hemang Baxi, an interventional cardiologist.

As per statistics shared by the doctors, one person dies of diabetes every 10 seconds, while two new diabetic cases are identified every 10 seconds in the world. Every 30 seconds there is a major amputation happening on a diabetic patient.

• Wear comfortable shoes, avoid extreme temperatures
• Get doc to examine legs regularly
• In case of doubt, a colour Doppler test is warranted. In case of decreased blood supply, there is poor wound healing with a strong chance of progression to gangrene (blackish skin or toes). These patients need urgent angiography followed by angioplasty or bypass in the legs.
• Diabetic patients with kidney involvement need CO2 angiography. CO2 angiography is safer for patients of kidney disease compared to conventional angiography