The health and functional status of veterans with diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the extent of functional impairment among veterans with diabetes and investigate whether such functional impairment is associated with measures of glycemic control, sensory neuropathy, lower extremity macrovascular disease, or other comorbid conditions.


METHODS
A 20-item general health survey (SF-20) developed by the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Group, was administered to 577 subjects participating in a prospective study of risk factors for diabetic foot ulceration. Measures of glycemic control and neurovascular disease included GHb, sensory lower extremity neuropathy assessed by aesthesiometry, and segmental lower extremity doppler blood pressures.


RESULTS
Veterans with diabetes have major decreases in all domains of functional status; 87% were in poor health in terms of physical functioning and 86% in terms of health perceptions. Those with advancing age, symptoms of neuropathy and claudication, and a medical history of complications associated with diabetes had significantly more impairment of health status than those without. GHb values did not correlate with functional status measures. Subjects with neuropathy had statistically significant functional impairment. Subjects with vasculopathy had only two significantly low health status measures.


CONCLUSIONS
In summary, the findings from this survey reveal that veterans with diabetes have low functional status scores. The presence of symptoms and complications accounts for only part of the impairments experienced by this group.
General Internal Medicine Clinic, Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington 98108.
J H
JH
Ahroni
E J
EJ
Boyko
D R
DR
Davignon
R E
RE
Pecoraro
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D010146:Pain; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans
D001786:Blood Glucose