There are more than 30 million diabetics in the United States, with approximately half of those afflicted having been diagnosed with 800,000 new cases very year. The total annual cost of diabetes in the United States is approximately $130 billion. Of that amount, roughly $13 billion is spent for treatment of diabetic foot disease. The number one reason a diabetic is admitted to a hospital is for a foot wound which cost approximately $20,000 a year to heal and prevent.
Lower extremity amputation is a complication of peripheral vascular disease and is markedly more frequent among diabetics than non-diabetics. In the U.S., diabetic amputations exceed 100,000 per year. It is estimated that 10-15%, approximately one million, of the diabetic population suffers from peripheral vascular disease and gangrene. Additionally, severe forms of diabetic nerve disease, especially neuropathy, are a major contributing cause of lower extremity amputations.
At least 15% of all persons with diabetes eventually have a foot ulcer and nearly 1% of persons with diabetes have an amputation. It is estimated that nearly 75% of all amputations caused by neuropathy and poor circulation could be prevented with proper care. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends control of blood sugar, relief of pain (typically achieved through use of medications and or electrotherapy), and special care of the hands and feet as treatment for diabetic neuropathy. Recommended care for the feet includes frequent visual inspection, good hygiene, use of protective lubricants and wearing of special shoes. There are no commonly recommended courses of therapy that aim to both reduce pain and increase circulation in order to treat the pain associated with neuropathy and, at the same time, help reduce the risk of developing foot ulcers.
Prizm has established a clinical research program with leading specialists in the fields of endocrinology, diabetology, and podiatry at major medical universities. A pilot clinical study demonstrated benefits of the Silver-Thera™ Stocking coupled with the Micro-Z™ pulsed direct current neuromuscular stimulator in treating diabetic foot neuropathy, tissue perfusion and wound healing which resulted in a clinical publication (see research). The convenient, easy to use Micro-Z™ can be worn to bed for easy nighttime use, a factor suggested by studies as effective in alleviating subjective, burning diabetic neuropathic pain as well as dramatically increasing circulation which leads to increased tissue perfusion.
