Both diabetic foot and peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
are recognized complications of diabetes mellitus (DM).
The estimated global prevalence of diabetic foot is
6.3%1, whereas the global prevalence of PAD in adults
is 5·56%2. On the other hand, at least 20% of
symptomatic patients with PAD have DM3, whereas
the prevalence of PAD was 8.52% in DM patients in a
more recent study carried out coastal Karnataka of India4.
In the aetiopathogenesis of diabetic foot, though not
essential, PAD may play important role. Also, presence
of PAD enhances the severity, and makes the
management of diabetic foot more complicated in clinical
practice.
In Bangladesh, the prevalence of DM is on the rise with
the overall age-adjusted prevalence of DM and
prediabetes 9.7% and 22.4%, respectively.5 The exact
prevalence of diabetic foot is not known, however, in a
small study in Bangladesh Institute of Research &
Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolic
Disorders (BIRDEM), 75% of the 130 patients suffered
co-morbidity, including diabetic foot in 4%.6 The
prevalence of PAD among the diabetic foot in
Bangladeshi population is unknown. Nobi et al. in their
study involving 72 diabetic patients attending the
BIRDEM Hospital sought the prevalence of PAD in
diabetic foot infections and its effect on management
outcome. They have found the prevalence of PAD, as
determined by ankle brachial index (ABI) and pulse
oximetry, to be 34.7%. Their study suffers from small
sample size, however, highlights the population-specific
scenario to some extent.