The cost of diabetic foot ulcer management is estimated at around £300 million a year, but the true prevalence of diabetic foot disease is unknown, making the potential economic and personal burden of diabetes treatment and complications inestimable. This article will explore diabetic foot aetiology, risk factors for diabetic foot disease, prevention strategies and briefly discuss the management of people with diabetic foot disease

Maureen Benbow MSc, BA, RGN, HERC, Senior Lecturer, University of Chester

Article accepted for publication: May 2012