The Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Diabetes mellitus is one of the commonest chronic diseases, resulting in a lot of complications including a diabetic foot ulcer. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) including the risk to progress to amputation, also deteriorate the quality of life of the patients and their care givers. Diabetic foot ulcers not only affect the physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients but the social, psychological and economic aspects of the patient’s life are also affected. Research studies have shown that factors such as female gender, obesity, presence of Peripheral Vascular Disease and stressful life events further decrease the quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. This editorial advocates that diabetic foot ulcers being a huge burden on the healthcare system also deteriorate the quality of life of patients.