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Amputation rise

Rise in diabetes-related limb loss increase

Posted in NGO and IGO action on 29th December, 2009 | no responses

The number of people in England having limb amputations because of type 2 diabetes has risen, one study has shown. Between 1996 and 2005, below-ankle amputations doubled to more than 2,000, and major amputations increased by 43%. However, according to a team at Imperial College London, the number of amputations for people with type 1 diabetes has decreased.

Diabetes UK care manager Sara Spiers said:’This rise could be for a number of reasons, including type-two diabetes not being diagnosed early enough, people not getting the education they need to manage their condition effectively, and swifter treatment of foot problems, meaning people are more likely to have an amputation than die because of foot ulcers.’

Source: BBC News Online, 29 December 2009.

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