Skin autofluorescence may independently predict occurrence of first foot ulcer in T2DM patients

Over a span of 53 months, 58 new DFUs emerged. Intriguingly, the majority of these cases were observed in patients with SAF measurements exceeding the median value of 2.65 AU. After rigorous adjustment for variables including age, sex, diabetes duration, control measures, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and other complications, the study demonstrated a robust association between SAF and the subsequent development of DFUs.

Furthermore, even after adjusting for IWGDF classification, SAF remained a strong predictor of new DFUs, with a Hazard Ratio (HR) of 1.81 and a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of 1.25–2.62.

The study's findings become even more significant when focusing on patients without a prior DFU history. Among this subset of 403 individuals, SAF exhibited an even higher predictive value, with an HR of 2.32 and a 95% CI of 1.36–3.95. Surprisingly, SAF did not demonstrate the same predictive ability for patients who had previously experienced DFUs.

Reference:

Borderie, G., Foussard, N., Larroumet, A., Blanco, L., Barbet-Massin, M.-A., Ducos, C., Rami-Arab, L., Domenge, F., Mohammedi, K., Ducasse, E., Caradu, C., & Rigalleau, V. (2023). The skin autofluorescence of advanced glycation end-products relates to the development of foot ulcers in type 2 diabetes: A longitudinal observational study. In Journal of Diabetes and its Complications (p. 108595). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2023.108595