Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Vitamin D Status: A Literature Review

Abstract

Approximately 15% of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are prone to developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in their lifetime. The term vitamin D status or 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels is used interchangeably to represent the status of vitamin D in individuals throughout this article. Evidence suggests a relationship between 25(OH)D levels and DFU. However, very minimal data are available on the association between DFU and vitamin D deficiency. After a careful review of the literature, it was inferred that vitamin D could be associated with DFU and diabetic foot infections. Available evidence on vitamin D and DFU suggests a negative correlation between 25(OH)D levels and the presence of DFU. Evidence also supports a negative relationship between 25(OH)D levels and diabetic foot infections. Further large-scale randomized controlled studies need to be done to confirm the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and DFU including the use of vitamin D in the management of DFU and diabetic foot infections.