Decreased health-related quality of life in patients with diabetic foot problems

The aim of this study was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with diabetic foot problems and compare the HRQoL between diabetic patients with: 1) diabetic foot problems (DF), including diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) or amputation (AMPU); 2) other diabetic complications (COM), such as diabetic retinopathy (DR), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or coronary artery disease (CAD); and 3) no diabetic complication (CON).

A total of 254 diabetic patients were studied in a cross-sectional setting. HRQoL was evaluated using Thai version of the Euro Quality of Life Questionnaire (EuroQoL), with five dimensions and five-level scale (EQ-5D-5L). Utility scores were calculated using time trade-off methods.

A total of 141 patients in the DF group (98 DFU and 43 AMPU groups), 82 in the COM group (27 DR, 28 ESRD, and 27 CAD groups), and 31 in the CON group were interviewed. The mean age was 63.2±12.1 years, body mass index was 24.9±4.7 kg/m², mean hemoglobin A1c was 7.7±2.1%, duration of diabetes was 13.1±9.9 years, and the mean utility scores were 0.799±0.25. After having DF, 21% of patients had lost their jobs. The COM group had lower utility scores than the CON group. Among the diabetic complications, the DF group had the lowest mean utility scores as compared to the COM and CON groups (0.703±0.28 in the DF group, 0.903±0.15 in the COM group, and 0.961±0.06 in the CON group, P<0.01). There was no difference in the mean utility scores between DFU and AMPU groups. Patients in the DF group reported moderate-to-severe problem in all dimensions more than the other groups.

DF have the greatest negative impact on HRQoL. Therefore, diabetic foot care should be emphasized in clinical practice to prevent foot complications.