Sonographic Assessment of Heel Pad Thickness in Patients With Poorly Controlled Diabetes

Abstract

The aim was to compare the heel pad thickness (HPT) in diabetic patients with high biochemical parameters (fasting blood sugar [FBS], hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], and lipid profile) with nondiabetic counterparts. A total of 438 subjects made up of 216 diabetics with high biochemical parameters (poorly controlled) and 222 apparently healthy subjects were recruited. The HPT, FBS level, HbA1c values and lipid profile, and duration of diabetes mellitus were assessed. Results showed that the mean HPT was 13.33 ± 1.29 mm in the control subjects and 16.79 ± 1.84 mm in diabetics. The HPT among diabetics differed significantly from the control group ( P < .05). The mean value of HbA1c in the control group was 5.4 ± 1.3 compared to diabetics with values of 8.53 ± 2.1. The values of HbA1c among diabetics were significantly higher than that of the control group ( P < .05). HPT had a significant linear relationship with HbA1c among the diabetic subjects ( r = 0.42, P < .05).