OECD Calls For Immediate Action To Prevent Lower Limb Amputations

In a recent study, the OECD calls for immediate action on a global scale to prevent lower limb amputations caused by diabetes.

Diabetes can be a burden for a lot of people, and also comes at a great cost to society. One of the most common – and dangerous – complications, are diabetic foot ulcers and the risk of amputations they cause. We believe that these foot complications can be prevented.

In this new series of blog posts, we highlight the latest research on diabetic foot related problems. We hope that decision-makers, physicians, insurers and others recognize the urgent need for a solution and that those solutions are in fact at hand. Ulcers and amputations can be prevented.

In this week’s blog, we look at a recent study published by a major international think tank, the OECD, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Their study was published in the October issue of Acta Diabetelogica, a leading scientific journal that publishes reports of experimental and clinical research on diabetes.

In their study, ‘Lower extremity amputation rates in people with diabetes as an indicator of health systems performance´, Carinci, Massi Benedetti, Klazinga and Uccioli compare trends and variations of amputations across multiple countries. Here are some of their findings:

In the chart below you can see that amputation rates in the US are higher than in many other countries and well above average.

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