Poor Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes More Likely to Require Amputation for this Health Issue

In the world of healthcare, it's not always fair. 

A new study published in the journal Health Affairs found that poor individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes were more likely to deal with the loss of a limb. Healthcare expenses can be too much for those who do not make an adequate means, and may increase their risk for amputation.

"Patients that don't have adequate care will put off seeking care until their foot is red, swollen and obviously infected," said Carl Stevens, lead author of the study and a clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, via USA Today. "They'll go to the emergency room, where they find the infection is too far and often need amputation beginning at the toe to further up the leg."

Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA examined data taken from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research's California Health Interview Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. They also took into consideration each individual's zip code, hospital discharge forms and household income from the data. Next, they compared this information with the amputation rate for diabetic patients aged 45 and older.

Findings revealed that in 2009, alone, 6,800 people with diabetes lost their toes, feet, legs or other extremeties as a complication from the health issue. Close to another 1,000 patients even needed more than one amputation.

In general, findings revealed that those with lower levels of income as well as education had a "greater behavioral risk factors, including hypertension, smoking, less education about health, lack access to medical care, lack of transportation and cost of care," according to Ann Albright, the director for the diabetes division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers said they believe that a shortage of primary care doctors in many urban low-income areas could be to blame for poor treatments and health education.

The study authors hope that a better availability to the right treatments and more thorough education on these and other health topics can decrease the rate of problems like this in the future.

To date, more than 29 million Americans were reported to have diabetes in 2014, while close to one-fourth were unaware of their condition.