Title:Gender Difference in the Risk of Adverse Outcomes After Diabetic Foot Disease: A Mini-Review
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Author(s): Giuseppe Seghieri*, Alessandra De Bellis, Marta Seghieri, Elisa Gualdani, Laura Policardo, Flavia Franconi and Paolo Francesconi
Affiliation:
- Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Florence,Italy
Keywords:
Diabetic foot disease, sex-gender differences, foot ulcers, cardiovascular complications, chronic renal failure, mortality.
Abstract: Diabetic foot disease (DFD) is a complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by multiple
pathogenetic factors, bearing a very high burden of disability as well as of direct and indirect costs for
individuals or healthcare systems. A further characteristic of DFD is that it is associated with a marked
risk of subsequent hospitalizations for incident cardiovascular events, chronic renal failure or of allcause
mortality. Additionally, DFD is strongly linked to the male sex, being much more prevalent
among men. However, even if DFD mainly affects males, several past reports suggest that females are
disadvantaged as regards the risk of subsequent adverse outcomes. This review aims to clarify this
point, attempting to provide an explanation for this apparent oddity: being DFD a typically male complication
of diabetes but, seemingly, with a greater load of subsequent consequences for females.