Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), a common complication facing diabetics, can be prevented through simple interventions, according to Dr. Pinjala Ramakrishna, head of the department of vascular surgery at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).
Speaking at the 23rd Andhra Pradesh Diabetologists Conference here on Sunday, he said that up to 70 per cent of limb amputation cases among diabetics was due to improper foot care and suggested good control of haemoglobin, blood pressure, and lipid levels to prevent complications.
“If only patients take enough care not to get injured, 80 per cent of diabetics can save their limbs,” he said, underscoring the need for multi-disciplinary teams comprising diabetologist, vascular surgeon, infection disease specialist, plastic surgeon and podiatrist to treat DFUs.
Speaking about ‘Vitamin D in diabetes’, Dr. R. Madhavan, former Director of the Institute of Diabetology, Madras Medical College, Chennai, said owing to change in lifestyle, Vitamin D deficiency added to the woes of diabetics, who nowadays had limited exposure to sunlight, the main source of the vitamin.
Diabetes worsens retinopathy by 76 per cent, nephropathy by 50 per cent and neuropathy by 60 per cent, said Dr Vijaykumar. G, diabetologist at Apollo Speciality Hospital, Chennai. On anti-diabetic drug Metformin, he said: “It is as safe as other glucose-lowering agents in diabetics.”
Dr. Venkata Raman, consultant diabetologist at Apollo Hospital, Chennai, who was awarded the Prof. M. Vishwanthan Gold Medal on the occasion, called for a patient-centric approach giving less complex drugs to ensure minimal adverse effects.
