Risk factors of diabetic foot of neuropathic origin in patients with type 2 diabetes

Diabetic foot is a diabetes mellitus complication leading to recurrent ulcerations, risk of osteomyelitis and tissue necrosis which may finally result in amputation. Diabetic foot of neuropathic origin manifesting as autonomic and sensory motor neuropathy is the most common type of this complication. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of diabetic foot of neuropathic origin occurrence in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The study included 240 patients, 74 with diabetic foot of neuropathic origin and 166 with diabetes. Cases and controls were matched in terms of age structure. Patients with peripheral arterial disease were excluded from the study. The study was conducted in the Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. We used logistic regression models, χ2, U Mann-Whitney's and t-Student tests.

Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetic foot of neuropathic origin risk factors were: male gender (OR = 6.63; 95% CI: 3.31-13.27; p = 0.00001), duration of diabetes (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.06-1.14; p = 0.00001), height (OR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.06-1.13; p = 0.00001), weight (OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.04-1.06; p = 0.00001) and waist circumference (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02-1.08; p = 0.001). Although there was a correlation between diabetic foot of neuropathic origin and BMI value, it had no impact on DF occurrence risk.

It is possible to identify patients at risk of diabetic foot development by evaluating anthropometric features. The existence of specific factors increasing the odds of diabetic foot of neuropathic origin occurring may lead to the identification of patients at risk of its development.