Opinion: Diabetic foot ulcers: a silent killer of veterans
The VA is a pioneer when it comes to detecting and treating diabetic foot ulcers and their complications. But it, and the NIH, need to invest more in research on…
Veterans who survive the horrors of war or the other dangers of military service often die years later from a silent but deadly scourge: diabetic foot ulcers, open sores or lesions that typically start on the bottom of the foot.
About 40% of people afflicted with this problem die within five years. The annual cost to America’s health care system for treating complications of these foot ulcers is greater than treating the five most common types of cancer, and are responsible for the vast majority of non-combat amputations seen among veterans. Yet too little is being done to prevent them.
