The study found that divorced men are at the greatest risk of amputation due to type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes-related Amputations: A Major Concern

Diabetes-related amputations, especially lower limb amputations, have been a major concern in patients due to the complications associated with the disease, including neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease.

These complications can lead to non-healing wounds, infections, and tissue damage, often requiring amputation as a last resort to prevent further health risks from developing.

Divorced Men at Highest Risk

Now, a new study highlights that among people with diabetes, divorced men face the highest risk of partial or total foot and leg amputation due to the disease.

The study found that divorced people with diabetes are two-thirds (67%) more likely to have lower limb amputations compared to those who are married. And men are 57% more likely than women to suffer this fate.

Swedish medical researchers conducted a study of 66,569 people with diabetes to examine various demographic, socioeconomic, health and lifestyle factors associated with the risk of lower limb amputation in people with diabetes. The results will be presented at a conference of disease specialists.

Understanding the Reasons

The need for lower limb amputation is a serious and common side effect of diabetes and a risk for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The authors of the study said they could not be sure why divorced people of either gender were at greater risk than married people, but suggested that it “may be due to changes in grooming and eating habits seen in divorced people, or more so, probably live alone.”

They added: “In men in particular, it is often associated with greater social isolation, with a secondary effect of less physical activity.”

The Life-saving Procedure

“Some people with diabetes in whom we perform lower extremity amputations are diabetics, they do not have other diseases, they do not smoke and do not have, for example, high blood pressure,” explained Lasantha Wijesinghe, a consultant vascular surgeon from England who performs the operations. lower limb amputations. The second is diabetes, as well as other things like high blood pressure or high cholesterol and smoking, which are traditional risk factors for arterial disease.”

He continued: “In the case of a minor amputation, we can remove a finger or several fingers. But in large cases, we remove the leg below or above the knee. If amputation is not performed, sepsis will kill the patient. … Thus, amputation is actually a life-saving procedure. It is being carried out because there are no other antibiotics left, and we are at the end of the road.”

Age as a Factor

The study found that older people are also more likely to have amputations, even if they have recently been diagnosed with diabetes. A research team led by Dr. Stefan Jansson of Orebro University found that each year of extra life means a person is at 8% higher risk.

Source

Source: Guardian