title: Statins may be associated with six-week diabetic foot ulcer healing.
abstract: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) affect 1.5 million Americans annually, of which only a minority heal with standard care, and they commonly lead to amputation. To improve care, investigations are underway to better understand DFU pathogenesis and develop more effective therapies. Some currently used medications may improve healing. One small, randomized clinical trial found statins improve DFU healing. In this secondary analysis of a large multisite prospective observational cohort of 139 patients with DFUs receiving standard care, we investigated whether there was an association between 6-week DFU wound size reduction and use of a variety of medications including alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and statins. We found no significant (p < 0.05) association between six-week wound reduction and use of any of the evaluated drugs; however, statins did trend toward an association (p = 0.057). This suggests a potential benefit of statins on DFU healing, and larger, targeted studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Joshua D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, Nassau, New York.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Baquerizo-Nole
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Flor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macquhae
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herskovitz
authors.affiliation: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Jeremy B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.affiliation: University of Manchester, Department of Medicine, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vileikyte
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kirsner
mesh_terms: D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors