Risk assessment of patients with diabetes for foot ulcers according to risk classification consensus of international working group on diabetic foot (IWGDF)

Objective: the aim was assessment of diabetic foot ulcer risk factors according to international working group on the diabetic foot (iwgdf) consensus. methodology: all referred patients with diabetes were divided into four groups based on iwgdf criteria (without neuropathy, with neuropathy, neuropathy with deformity or vascular disorders, foot ulcer or amputation history).results: mean age of patients was 53.8±10.7 years. two hundred and sixty nine patients (62/6%) were female and 161(37/4%) were male. twenty three percent had disturbed sense of vibration, 26% had decreased sensitivity to monofilaments and 17% had decreased pain sensation. ankle brachial index (abi) was abnormal in 6%. about 7% had history of prior ulcer. patients were classified into four risk groups according to iwgdf criteria. two hundred and seventy seven patients (65%) were in group 0, 75(17%) in group 1, 47 (11%) in group 2 and 31 (7%) in group 3. patients in higher–risk groups had higher age, longer diabetes duration, higher hba1c and less training (p=0.0001, 0.001, 0.0001, 0.021 respectively). the risk was higher in the presence of retinopathy (p=0.005). patient’s sex, bmi, smoking and nephropathy did not have significant correlation with risk of diabetic foot ulcer. conclusion: this study showed that increase of age, duration of diabetes and hba1c, lack of training and presence of retinopathy increases the risk of diabetic foot ulcers