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Diabetes is the co-morbid condition most strongly associated with the development of pressure ulcers in nursing home residents, according to an analysis of existing research.

Investigator Yuta Kurashige, M.D., Ph.D., identified seven studies that have been done on this topic. The smallest involved 827 residents in the United Kingdom, and the largest involved more than 14,600 in the United States.

Six of the seven studies found that diabetes mellitus is associated with pressure ulcer development, according to Kurashige, of the Hachioji Medical Center at Tokyo Medical University. 

Some of the studies found that Parkinson’s disease, hip fracture and peripheral vascular disease also are correlated with pressure ulcer development, but other studies found that these conditions are not associated with PUs, Kurashige found. His findings are published in the International Journal of Clinical Dermatology & Research.

When taking other care settings into account, the correlation between pressure ulcers and diabetes emerged even more clearly. Clinicians should be especially sensitive to the risks presented by diabetic patients, Kurashige wrote.