Taking Your Foot s Temperature.

Anew monitoring method predicts diabetic foot complications in patients with only one foot available for monitoring--due to prior amputation or ongoing treatment of a wound--according to a study in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, a journal published in partnership with the American Diabetes Association, The researchers report that this monitoring algorithm prediets 91% of foot ulcers nearly six weeks earlier than would otherwise be possible, enabling inexpensive, targeted, and effective prevention therapies.

The research analyzed data from 129 participants with diabetes who used Podimetrics' SmartMat for oncedaily foot temperature monitoring. Since SmartMat allows patients to take measurements at home, the care team can manage foot health remotely. Moreover, whereas foot temperature monitoring previously required comparing temperatures between two feet, preventing its use among amputees with only a single foot, this study presented a new approach--employing temperature readings from multiple locations on the same foot to identify the inflammation...