Complications of diabetes: screening for retinopathy and management of foot ulcers

Abstract

1which is based on two systematic reviews undertaken to inform national clinical practice guidelines for type 2 diabetes. 23 The first part of the article looks at screening for diabetic retinopathy and the second at the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Two of the most common complications of diabetes are visual problems caused by retinopathy, and problems with the feet, particularly persistent ulcers. These result from microvascular and macrovascular complications, often exacerbated by chronically raised blood glucose levels. Around 2% of the UK population are believed to have diabetes, of whom perhaps 200 000 have type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes, and more than a million have type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. 4