Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Diabetic foot is a major public health and it’s the combination of arteriopathy, neuropathy and infection. Among all possible complications of diabetes mellitus, diabetic foot problems are a leading cause of hospitalisation. The aim of our study was to assess different diabetic foot factors in diabetic patients and to classify them into risk groups according to the guidelines of the International Working Group on Diabetic Foot (IWGDF)

Methods: It was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted over 6 months in department A of the institute of Nutrition of Tunis which included patients with diabetes.

Results: The total number of patients who participated in the study was 77. The characteristics of the patients were respectively: age 54±10.3 years, BMI:29± 4.5 kg/m², HBA1C:10.1±1.57%. The mean duration of diabetic patients was 11±3 years. On examination, 58% of subjects reported neuropathic pain, with 47% having a DN4 greater than or equal to 4/10. As for arteriopathy, 21.3% reported intermittent claudication. On examination, 16% had absent pedal and posterior tibial pulses. Thus, 39% of subjects were classified as being at high risk of ulceration (groups 2 and 3), while 47% were at low risk (group 0).

Conclusion: In conclusion, our study revealed a substantial prevalence of diabetic foot complications among the assessed patients, highlighting the significant burden of arteriopathy, neuropathy and infection in diabetes underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions and preventive measures in diabetic care.