The purpose of this brief report was to refresh a 2007 data summary comparing diabetic foot complications to cancer with the best available data as they currently exist. Since that time, more reports have emerged both on cancer mortality and mortality associated with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), Charcot arthropathy, and diabetes-associated lower extremity amputation.
Lower Extremity Review
Gait Speed as Risk Tool for Falls
Keeping older adults physically active is critical to health maintenance and walking is a key form of exercise for this population. However, foot pain represents a leading cause of mobility limitations and lower quality of life in older individuals. Nearly 25% of adults report foot pain, and those with frequent foot pain are at double the risk of falling.
Improved Patient-Provider Relationship Boosts Outcomes
While a good patient-provider relationship has been the bedrock of today’s much-needed patient satisfaction scores, such relationships are also proving to boost functional outcomes. In a recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, physician researchers from Case Western Reserve University…
“Renal Foot” – Angiographic Patterns in Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia + Renal Disease
Patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have greater risk of limb loss compared to those with CLTI alone. These researchers investigated angiographic patterns in patients with CLTI and evaluated for differences based on ESRD status.
Most Youth Football Helmets DON’T FIT
Youth football players are at increased risk of concussion for one reason: their helmets don’t fit properly! New research has found that the majority (74%) of football players’ helmets in youth football (7-12 years old) did not meet at least one component of the 13 criteria developed for proper football helmet fit. Improper fit is a critical risk factor for increased concussion symptoms and duration.
HR-QoL in Sjogren’s-Related Peripheral Neuropathy
Sjogren’s patients with coexisting neurological involvement with symptoms, including pain and physical disability, experience diminished health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) according to a recent study of 50 Sjogren’s patients. All patients underwent neurological clinical examination followed by nerve conduction studies and rheumatological examination.
Improving Diabetes Care Management Processes and Referrals To Podiatry in Primary Care
Diabetes mellitus (DM) can lead to long-term complications including limb amputations. Annually in the US about 73,000 nontraumatic lower limb amputations are performed and > 60% occur among persons with DM. Veterans have a high number of risk factors and are especially vulnerable. One in 4 veterans has DM, compared to 1 in 6 in the general population.
By Lynn Soban, PhD, MPH, RN
Getting Off 1 Bus Stop Earlier = 50+ Days in Life Expectancy
In early 2019, Dublin’s Department of Health wanted to encourage public transport riders to improve their activity levels by alighting 1 stop earlier and walking to their destination. To gain the public’s attention, they decided to relate the additional steps to the potential increase in life-expectancy (calculated at a population level).
Compression Stockings Effective in Diabetes & PAD; Aid Sport Activity Performance
Two new studies show the effectiveness of compression stockings (CS) in the settings of diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as well as in sport performance. The first, from Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg in Germany and published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, looked at…
Not Just for Kids! Virtual Reality Training Improves Balance in Older Adults
Falls are common among adults over age 65 with 30% reporting at least 1 fall in 2014 in the United States. Falls can cause life-threatening injuries leading to emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and even death. The good news is that exercise-based falls prevention programs have been proven…
Predicting Return-to-Play After Calf Muscle Strain Injury
In a study of 149 calf muscle strain injuries (CMSI) among 123 Australian Football League players, researchers from the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Center sought to determine whether clinical and radiological factors can be predictive of both return to play and/or re-injury.
Skateboarding Survey: 70% Suffer Lower Extremity Injuries
In a web-based survey of 197 Spanish skateboarders (mean age 24.4 years; 89.3% male) researchers from the University A Coruña in Spain sought to better understand the practice habits and injuries of skateboarders.
Cooling Insoles Offer New Approach to Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention
Adults who suffer from pain due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet now have another treatment option: QUTENZA (capsaicin) 8% patch has received extended-label approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA originally approved the pain management patch in 2009 for…
Orphengesic Forte, New Opioid-free Pain Med, Approved for Musculoskeletal Pain
Galt Pharmaceuticals, Atlanta, GA, announced that the US Food & Drug Administration has issued a new drug approval for Orphengesic Forte, a non-opioid, non-controlled, non-addictive prescription pain medication. Orphengesic Forte is indicated for the relief of mild to moderate pain of acute musculoskeletal disorders, paired with rest, physical therapy, and other measures.
Abbott’s Personalized Chronic Pain Therapy App Approved by FDA
Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, has received approval to use its iOS-compatible St. Jude Medical Patient Controller Application, which is available for download from the Apple store. This app is for people living with chronic pain and neurologic disorders who are treated by Abbott neuromodulation devices including…
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