TORONTO –
More than 7,000 people with diabetes undergo a leg, foot or toe amputation every year — and the majority of those procedures could have been prevented, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said in a report released Thursday.
The report said people with diabetes living in the lowest-income neighbourhoods are three times more likely to have an amputation than those living in the highest-income communities. Those living in remote communities were also at higher risk of amputations than people living in urban centres.
“Our report is looking at leg amputations that occur annually as a complication related to diabetes,” Erin Pichora, CIHI’s program lead for population health, said in an interview.
“We’re looking at these because they’re largely preventable.”
Lack of access to a primary-care provider to help people manage diabetes is one likely factor behind the inequalities, Pichora said.
Disparities are also …