According to a new study published in the Dec. issue of Diabetes Care, diabetics who develop foot ulcers seem to die earlier than those without the complication.
Reuters reported on the Norwegian study which followed 65,000 adults for a period of 10 years.  Of the participants, 155 had a history of diabetic foot ulcers and 1,339 had diabetes, but with no history of foot ulcers.
The researchers found that compared with other diabetic adults, those with a history of foot ulcers were 47 percent more likely to die during the study period. The risk was more than two-fold higher when foot ulcer patients were compared with non-diabetic adults. These findings did not change significantly after researches factored in age, overall health, depression, education and lifestyle habits.
The researchers recommended that people with a history of foot ulcers be monitored closely.

foot exam and pay close attention to the state of their feet.