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Amputation Due to Diabetes

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to amputation. However, if blood sugar is properly controlled, the risk of neuropathy and poor circulation, which can lead to amputation, dramatically decreases. People with diabetes actually account for 60% of amputation. The good news is that by taking care of your feet and maintaining good blood sugar control, amputations are preventable.

  1. Neuropathy

    • Neuropathy is a form of nerve damage and it is caused by damage to the capillaries that bring blood to the nervous system. These damaged nerve fibers causes tingling, burning, pain or numbness in finger and toes. Over time, the tingling will extend upward to the hands and arms, as well as the legs and feet. The toes and the feet are the most affected by neuropathy.

    Poor Circulation

    • A complication of poorly control diabetes is hardened arteries. This leads to poor circulation, also called poor blood flow, which can make a diabetic's foot less able to heal. Foot infections occur due to dry cracked skin, foot ulcers or cuts. Without proper circulation, the body cannot heal and infection sets in.

    How Do Neuropathy and Poor Circulation Lead to Amputation?

    • When poor circulation combines with neuropathy, the risk of amputation becomes apparent. A diabetic looses feeling in his or her foot and then cuts it. Since the diabetic is unaware of the open wound, it quickly becomes infected. This infection can become serious and lead to tissue death, which usually results in amputation.

    Can Medicine Reduce the Risk of Amputation?

    • In May 2009, a study found that a cholesterol-reducing drug, fenofibrate, reduced the risk of amputation in diabetics by 36%. Even though the decrease in amputation risk was not directly related to a diabetic's decrease in cholesterol, the diabetic's overall blood circulation dramatically improved. This breakthrough makes fenofibrate the first drug to directly decrease amputation risk for diabetics.

    What Else Can be Done to Reduce the Risk?

    • Other than good blood sugar control, exercise is probably the most important key to maintaining good circulation. Also critical is not smoking, since smoking makes arteries harden faster. Other factors include proper diet and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control.

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