The influence of nutritional status on the healing process in patients with diabetic foot
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/njz6wf03Keywords:
Diabetic foot, nutritional status, wound healing, dietary habits, type 2 diabetes mellitus.Abstract
This study aimed to determine the relationship between nutrition and the progression of diabetic foot ulcers in patients treated at the "El Paraíso" subcenter, within the framework of a community outreach project of the Technical University of Machala. A quantitative, analytical, observational, longitudinal, and prospective study was conducted. Data collection included dietary surveys, anthropometric assessment (BMI), and lesion staging using the Wagner scale. The data were processed using descriptive statistics. The results showed a predominance of males (68.0%), ages between 45 and 59 years (44.0%), and marked structural vulnerability (64.0% with incomes below the minimum wage). Furthermore, 93.2% of the patients were found to be overweight (60.6% overweight; 32.6% grade I obesity), and 100.0% presented with advanced, highly complex ulcers, distributed equally between Wagner grades II and III. A profound dietary monotony was observed , with the exclusion of high-biological-value proteins and cofactor micronutrients (zinc, iron, vitamin C), along with a complete absence (100.0%) of clinical improvement associated with empirical dietary optimization. It is concluded that nutritional status and unfavorable social determinants restrict tissue repair. The gap in institutional care contrasts sharply with the patient's willingness to engage in empirical self-care, justifying the urgent implementation of formal, comprehensive nutritional counseling programs.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Kevin Andrés Torres Salazar, David Alejandro Jumbo Carvajal, Ana Lucia Suconota Pintado (Autor/a)
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