Low Vitamin D Links With Increased Diabetic Foot Ulcers
-
Low serum levels of vitamin D were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers in elderly patients with diabetes. Average serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OH-D) (vitamin D3, the major circulating form of vitamin D in people) steadily decreased as the severity of diabetic foot ulcers increased, as measured by the Wagner classification. Elderly people with diabetes should undergo routine vitamin D screening or receive vitamin D supplementation to prevent the onset or improve the prognosis of diabetic foot ulcers, the authors say.
-
@manu Vitamin D deficiency is common in elderly patients with diabetes. The relationship between diabetic foot ulcers and vitamin D levels is controversial, with conflicting data. This is the first study to assess vitamin D levels in elderly patients hospitalized with a diabetic foot ulcer, the authors say.