A Retrospective Study Assessing the Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Linked to Diabetic Foot Ulcer Incidence in Jiaxing, China

Abstract Objective: Diabetic foot (DF) is one of the common serious complications of diabetes, which is an important cause of death and disability, and is associated with diabetic vascular disease and diabetic neuropathy. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and risk factors for diabetic foot among a diabetic population. Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort review. The population studied was 348 male examinees of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), in which age-matched equal examinees (174 patients each) were with diabetic foot (DF Group) and with no indication of diabetic foot (non-DF group), hospitalized in the same year at The First Hospital of Jiaxing, China. Medical records were reviewed to collect clinical profile, including duration of disease, smoking, previous diabetic foot incidence, and medication (such as metformin). Categorical data between groups were analyzed using chi-square test (χ2). Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used for multi-factor analysis to identify the risk factors of diabetic foot. Results: Comparing the baseline data of DF Group and non-DF Group, age, course of disease, LDL-C and use of metformin showed no significant difference (P >0.05). The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that smoking history (OR=1.88, P=0.020), previous diabetic foot history (OR=2.290, P=0.016), Hcy (OR=1.194, p≤0.001) were independent risk factors for diabetic foot disease, and HgB (OR =0.984, P=0.021) was the protective factor of diabetic foot disease in male subjects. Age (OR=0.985, P=0.304), course of disease (OR=1.048, P=0.233), history of metformin use (OR=0.851, P=0.509), HbA1c (OR=1.302, P=0.059), LDL-C (OR=0.936, P=0.698), Creatinine (OR =1.010, P=0.326), and ALB (OR =0.943, P=0.084) were not significantly correlated with diabetic foot disease. Conclusions: Smoking, previous diabetic foot history, and homocysteine are independent risk factors for diabetic foot disease. HgB is the protective factor of diabetic foot disease in male patients.