Defender Offers Five Valuable Tips to Stay a Step Ahead of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

In Conjunction with National Diabetes Month, Veteran Podiatrist Provides Guidance to Help Prevent Foot Ulcers and Lower Risk of Amputation

MIAMI, Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Diabetes Month, Defender, a next-generation designer and manufacturer of innovative foot care solutions, shares valuable guidance to help mitigate diabetic foot ulcers and prevent potential risk of amputation. Approximately 37.3 million¹ Americans live with diabetes and one in four of those individuals will develop a foot ulcer or open sore². Recognizing these wounds must be taken very seriously—and that an estimated 15 to 20 percent of people with foot ulcers will experience an amputation³—Dr. Jason Hanft, seasoned podiatrist with 30+ years of experience in lower extremity medicine and surgery, limb salvage and wound care, points out that many amputations can be avoided with proper footwear.

In addition to lowering overall quality of life, losing a foot has other serious consequences. Amputees face higher risk of death, as half of all people who experience a lower extremity amputation do not survive past five years⁴.

Dr. Hanft recommends the following five simple measures to help prevent diabetic foot ulcers:

1. Check your blood sugar levels—High blood sugar levels can lead to foot complications and slow down healing. It's important for people with diabetes to properly manage their glucose levels to help reduce the risk of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), or nerve damage which leads to loss of sensation in the foot. DPN is a major cause of foot ulcers and amputations.
2. Inspect your feet regularly—People living with diabetes should check their feet daily for any irritation, skin tears, callouses, blisters or open wounds.
3. Wear shoes that fit properly—Ill-fitting footwear could result in an ulcer so it's important to wear well-fitting shoes to help reduce the chance of wounds.
4. See anything abnormal? Seek a foot care specialist—Dr. Hanft advises people to visit a doctor or podiatrist right away if people find anything suspicious with their feet.
5. Get your feet checked every year—Regular diabetic foot exams can help prevent serious foot health problems.  

"There's an epidemic of amputations here in the U.S. Every 20 seconds someone loses a limb due to complications with diabetes, a situation that is 100 percent preventable," comments Dr. Hanft. "Insight into the rise of amputations among diabetics each year is what drove us to develop Foot Defender, which has helped pave the way for real healing results and save thousands of limbs."

Built with game-changing shoe-like design aesthetics with the assistance of Michael DiTullo, expert industrial designer of iconic products for some of the world's leading brands including Nike, Jordan and Brooks Running, Foot Defender is an easy-to-use protective boot specifically designed to better protect foot wounds, and ultimately heal faster, in a form factor patients will actually wear. Foot Defender alleviates average contact pressure across the foot by up to 50% as compared to other protective boots on the market. It's the first and only protective boot built from the ground up to specifically address the most complex foot care issue: diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) treatment.

To help provide support for people with diabetic foot ulcers, the company is offering 20 percent off the entire month of November on FootDefender.com. For more information about Foot Defender and its vision to deliver greater relief, comfort and healing so people can get back to living their life, please visit FootDefender.com.

About Defender
Defender is a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative foot care solutions that are changing the game for people with complex foot care issues, from heel pain to diabetic foot ulcers. Founded by Dr. Jason Hanft, a highly respected foot surgeon and podiatrist, the company is best known as the maker of Foot Defender – a protective boot co-conceived by former Nike designer Michael DiTullo. Clinically proven to offload 50% more pressure from the foot than other protective boots, Foot Defender wins praise from health professionals for its patient compliance and stigma-reducing benefits. Defender is also the creator of Heel Defender orthotic inserts, which are made with Absorbium and reduce impact force by nearly 95%. To learn more or to buy, visit footdefender.com or follow us on LinkedIn, or on Facebook or Instagram. 

¹ cdc.gov
² ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
³ jfootankleres.biomedcentral.com
⁴ amputee-coalition.org 

SOURCE Defender