Healing of diabetic foot ulcer delayed in patients of obstructive sleep apnea

There is a high prevalence of features and risk of obstructive sleep apnea in people with diabetic foot ulcers. A STOP-BANG score ≥4 predicts poor diabetic foot ulcer healing. Obstructive sleep apnea may be a potential, modifiable risk factor/treatment target to improve diabetic foot ulcer outcomes. These are the results from a study published in the Diabetic Medicine.

G. Maltese, Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, and colleagues conducted the study to assess the prevalence of risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea in people with diabetic foot ulcers and to determine whether this risk predicts diabetic foot ulcer healing.

The researchers studied 94 consecutive people (69% men) with diabetic foot ulcers (Type 2 diabetes, n=66, Type 1 diabetes, n=28) attending a university hospital foot unit. All participants were screened for obstructive sleep apnea using the STOP-BANG questionnaire, with a score ≥4 identifying high risk of obstructive sleep apnea. The primary outcome was poor diabetic foot ulcer healing, defined as diabetic foot ulcer recurrence (diabetic foot ulcers which healed and re-ulcerated in same anatomical position) and diabetic foot ulcer persistence (no evidence of healing on clinical examination). All participants were evaluated at 12 months.