Background: Diabetic foot is a serious disabling complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus as
it may lead to unhealed injuries in lower limb and impending amputation. Identifying its risk
factors is an important step for prevention. Objective: To identify the risk factors of diabetic
foot among type 2 diabetic patients. Method: This is a case control study of random sample
of 60 diabetic foot patients (cases) and 420 diabetic patients without foot lesion (control),
selected from patients attending Family medicine, Internal medicine, Endocrinology and
Diabetic foot outpatient clinics; Menoufia University hospitals. The patients were interviewed
using predesigned questionnaire inquired about personal and present history items. Fasting,
two hours postprandial blood glucose and HbA1c were done as a part of routine diabetic
investigations. Results: Independent risk factors by logistic regression were age more than 50
(OR=4.04; 95% CI 2.41 – 8.17; p<0.001), urban residence which was protective (OR=0.09;
95% CI 0.028 – 0.285; p<0.001), low socioeconomic standard (OR=2.22; 95% CI 1.074 –
4.595; p=0.031), hyperlipidmia (OR=4.72 ; 95% CI 1.597 – 7.285; p=0.005), obese patients
(OR=2.26; 95% CI 1.09 – 4.73; p=0.029), hypertension (OR=7.21; 95% CI 2.29 –
14.63; p=0.001) and absence of neuropathy (OR= 0.02; 95% CI 0.008 – 0.076 ; p<0.001).
Conclusion: Age more than 50; rural residence, low socioeconomic standard, hyperlipdemia,
obesity, hypertension and neuropathy were identified as risk factors for diabetic foot in the
studied type 2 diabetes patients. Determining these risk factors for individual patients is an
important step for prevention of disability and reduction of the cost of hospitalization..