title: Long-term prognosis of diabetic foot patients and their limbs: amputation and death over the course of a decade.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a dearth of long-term data regarding patient and limb survival in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The purpose of our study was therefore to prospectively investigate the limb and person survival of DFU patients during a follow-up period of more than 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred forty-seven patients with DFUs and without previous major amputation consecutively presenting to a single diabetes center between June 1998 and December 1999 were included in this study and followed up until May 2011. Mean patient age was 68.8 ± 10.9 years, 58.7% were male, and 55.5% had peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Times to first major amputation and to death were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox multiple regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A first major amputation occurred in 38 patients (15.4%) during follow-up. All but one of these patients had evidence of PAD at inclusion in the study, and 51.4% had severe PAD [ankle-brachial pressure index ≤0.4]). Age (hazard ratio [HR] per year, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.01-1.10]), being on dialysis (3.51 [1.02-12.07]), and PAD (35.34 [4.81-259.79]) were significant predictors for first major amputation. Cumulative mortalities at years 1, 3, 5, and 10 were 15.4, 33.1, 45.8, and 70.4%, respectively. Significant predictors for death were age (HR per year, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.06-1.10]), male sex ([1.18-2.32]), chronic renal insufficiency (1.83 [1.25-2.66]), dialysis (6.43 [3.14-13.16]), and PAD (1.44 [1.05-1.98]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although long-term limb salvage in this modern series of diabetic foot patients is favorable, long-term survival remains poor, especially among patients with PAD or renal insufficiency.
authors: Department of Diabetes and Angiology, Marienkrankenhaus, Soest, Germany. s.morbach@mkh-soest.de
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Morbach
authors: Heike
authors: H
authors: Furchert
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Gröblinghoff
authors: Heribert
authors: H
authors: Hoffmeier
authors: Kerstin
authors: K
authors: Kersten
authors: Gerd-Thomas
authors: GT
authors: Klauke
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Klemp
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Roden
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Icks
authors: Burkhard
authors: B
authors: Haastert
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Rümenapf
authors: Zulfiqarali G
authors: ZG
authors: Abbas
authors: Manish
authors: M
authors: Bharara
authors: David G
authors: DG
authors: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D023821:Limb Salvage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome