The effect of weight reduction on the diabetes foot: A scoping review and clinical implications

This scoping review aims to explore the literature available on rapid weight reduction (either via diet/exercise or bariatric surgery) on the diabetes foot.

A search strategy was developed using Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO). A search using all identified keywords and index terms was performed on Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), PubMed, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and Web of Science (WoS) databases as well as Proquest, and Cochrane systematic reviews. A search of grey literature was also performed on Google Scholar and Internet explorer. No restrictions were placed on the date of publication.

There were few studies that explored the effects of weight reduction on the diabetes foot. Only 2 articles met the scoping review's inclusion criteria. These were a case study where the intervention was bariatric surgery and a case series study where the interventions were bariatric surgery or diet and exercise.

This scoping review has highlighted the lack of research in this area, raising opportunities for further research that focus on the effects of rapid weight reduction (either following bariatric surgery or weight reduction and diet) on the diabetes foot. Patients with diabetes mellitus should receive individualised pre and post weight reduction care to their feet, either by a podiatrist or multidisciplinary care team.