On diabetic foot, wound healing, amputation prevention, and the merger of consumer tech with medical devices
A novel inflammation-nutrition biomarker — the neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) — shows strong association with diabetic foot ulcer risk in a 1,002-patient study from Xi'an, China, reinforcing that what patients eat and how they inflame are inseparable in the diabetic foot.
When we talk about Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI), we often focus on what we can see on an angiogram. But what is actually happening inside those vessels at a microscopic level? A comprehensive histopathological analysis of amputated limbs is shedding new light on the specific patterns of arterial obstruction that lead to limb loss. This... Continue Reading →
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one of the most devastating complications of diabetes—contributing to ischemic pain, functional decline, and, in severe cases, amputation. Despite its prevalence, early detection remains elusive, and clinicians continue to search for simple, reliable markers of risk. A new multicohort study led by Wang and colleagues now shines a spotlight on... Continue Reading →
Thermometry remains a cornerstone in the detection and monitoring of Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CNO)—a frequently silent, yet limb-threatening complication of diabetes. But what if we could go deeper than skin-level heat? A new study by Eleftheriadou et al., published online in Technology in Wound Care, explores the reliability of microwave radiometry (MWR) as a tool for internal tissue temperature measurement in... Continue Reading →
Diabetic wounds present one of the most complex and persistent challenges in modern medicine, often leading to prolonged inflammation and impaired healing. A recent study by Meng et al. (2025) introduces a potentially groundbreaking solution: a smart, MMP-9-responsive hydrogel that releases M2 macrophage-derived exosomes (M2-Exos) in response to the inflammatory microenvironment of diabetic wounds. This innovation has the potential... Continue Reading →
A recent review in Medicina highlights the promising role of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i) in diabetic foot prevention, presenting a detailed analysis of their physiological impact and potential benefits. Diabetic foot ulcers and related complications remain significant challenges, contributing to high healthcare costs and morbidity. SGLT2-i, originally developed for blood glucose management in diabetes,... Continue Reading →
Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a critical concern for individuals with diabetes, often leading to severe complications and increased healthcare costs. A recent meta-analysis by Yu-Ting Wang and colleagues, published in the journal Wounds in December 2023, sheds light on the role of inflammatory markers in detecting DFIs, which could pave the way for improved... Continue Reading →
Here is work from our interdisciplinary team led by Evan Minty and Breanne Everett. The goal is to help us move toward creating a closed loop of dosing activity, sensing inflammation, and treating pre-ulcerative conditions. Abstract Diabetes and its complications, particularly diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), pose significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. DFUs result in... Continue Reading →
Does the skin heat up before it breaks down in diabetic foot ulceration? Compelling and provocative work from our Dutch colleagues. They've published more on this important subject in the past few years than anyone and what we may be seeing is that, for some patients, thermometry may not be as accurate. While this idea... Continue Reading →
This from our colleagues in Carlisle, UK. We see more chairside/bedside diagnostics and theragnostics to help measure what we manage. Background: Point-of-care testing for infection might help podiatric physicians optimize management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Glycologic's proprietary GLYWD product has been developed to detect changes in a patient's immunologic/inflammatory response related to wound infection. We... Continue Reading →
