People with diabetes are 22 times more likely to have to undergo a non-traumatic lower limb amputation compared to people without the condition, Diabetes Ireland has warned.

The national charity is urging those with diabetes to be proactive when it comes to their feet and book an assessment with a podiatrist or other appropriate healthcare professional.

Long-term high blood glucose levels can make feet susceptible to injury and infection because it impacts the protective sensation in the toes and feet, meaning people may be unaware, for example, that they have a blister, which could eventually become infected.

The condition can also lower the amount of blood flow in the feet, which can make it more difficult for a sore or infection to heal. These issues can result in foot ulcers, which refer to a patch of skin loss on the foot. It is estimated that 15-25% of people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer at some point and the majority of lower limb amputations begin with such ulcers.

According to the latest figures available, 608 people with diabetes had lower limb amputations in 2020. While this represents a slight fall on 2018’s figure of 629, in 2016, the figure was 519.

Not surprisingly, the county with the highest number of lower limb amputations among people with diabetes in 2020 was Dublin (186). This was followed by Cork (54), Limerick (31) and Waterford (28). The county with the lowest number was Leitrim (5).

Meanwhile in 2020, there were 2,536 cases of foot ulcers without amputation among people with diabetes. This marked a fall of 294 when compared to 2019’s figure of 2,830. However, it marked an increase of 455 when compared to 2017’s figure of 2,081.

The highest number of cases of foot ulcer with no amputation in 2020 was found in Dublin (507), followed by Wexford (309), Cork (256) and Wicklow (177). The lowest number was in Leitrim (18).

Previous research has found that the average cost of treating a person with a diabetes-related foot ulcer as an inpatient in hospital is €30,000.

Diabetes Ireland currently has over 5,000 clients attending its preventative footcare services in Dublin and Cork. These services were set up to provide people with access to a high quality podiatry appointment service offering a full diabetic foot screen and assessment, foot and nail care treatment and callus and corn removal where necessary. A footwear assessment is also carried out with professional shoe fitting where necessary. For more information, click here.