Diabetic Veterans: Low Mental Health Function Increase Risk of Major Amputations

Filed in archive Information , Lifestyle , Research , Treatment on December 23, 2007

As reported by a study in the November/December issue of the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, US veterans with diabetes and has lower scores on a test of Mental health functioning are associated with an increased risk of major amputations.




According to study authors, led by Chin-Lin Tseng, Dr.P.H., of the VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, N.J.:

"Our findings suggest that foot care programs need to assess individuals for mental health functioning as a risk factor and to develop appropriate interventions to counteract this higher risk of major amputation.

Identifying patients who are at higher risk for major amputations due to poor mental health functioning may allow the dedication of resources and services to more closely supervise and manage their podiatric needs, perhaps leading to fewer amputations."

Well, like another diabetes study said: when you treat mental conditions (depression, etc.) in older diabetes patients, you make their lives longer, despite their diabetes.

Find more details from Science Daily.