[Differences in risk factors of diabetic foot in the patients in South and North China].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the differences on the diabetic foot problems and its risk factors in south and north of China.


METHODS
Patients with foot problems were surveyed from January 1 to December 31, 2004 in 14 teaching hospitals located in different cities in China, including demographic data, present and past history of the foot problems and peripheral artery disease (PAD), the classification of the foot ulcers based on the Wagner' system, control of the hyperglycemia and lipids disorder, medical cost in hospital and the diabetic complications. All the patients were divided into two groups due to their geographical data, south and north.


RESULTS
There were 285 and 349 patients for the group south and group north. No significant differences were found for duration of diabetes or foot problems, fasting or post-meal glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and the numbers of patients with smoke, hypertension, nephropathy or neuropathy between the two groups. There were significant differences for the age (70 yrs vs 66 yrs), percentage of the patients with average person income with over RMB 1000 per month (57.7% vs 45.6%), coronary heart disease (42.6% vs 61.0%) and retinopathy (35.7% vs 49.5%), HbA1c (7.90% vs 8.80 %), LDL-C (2.75 mmol/L vs 2.98 mmol/L), WBC (6.70 x 10(9) vs 7.40 x 10(9)/L), HCT (0.37 vs 0.38), creatinine (87 micromol/L vs 76 micromol/L) and uric acid (333 mmol/L vs 271 mmol/L), and amputation rate (2.6% vs 9.7%) between south and north groups. Logistic analysis showed that severity of the foot problems was associated with ABI and WBC in south group, and with ABI, PLT and HCT in north group.


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetic foot problems were more severe, with more risk factors and with more medical cost in north patients.
Wang
Yu-zhen
YZ
Department of Endocrinology, No 306 Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100101, China.
Wang
Ai-hong
AH
Zhao
Shi
S
Li
Qiang
Q
Wang
Peng-hua
PH
Yan
Li
L
Li
Xiang
X
DU
Yu-ming
YM
Bian
Rong-wen
RW
Wang
Zhan-jian
ZJ
Mao
Ji-ping
JP
Xiao
Zheng-hua
ZH
Ma
Xue-yi
XY
Lin
Shao-da
SD
Chen
Guo-chang
GC
Zhou
Ying-sheng
YS
Shi
Lin-tao
LT
Xu
Zhang-Rong
ZR
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors