Diabetes: Smart Socks Designed To Prevent Ulcers

A few days before World Diabetes Day, November 14, an American start-up unveils an innovation aimed at preventing amputation in patients, caused by foot ulcers, one of the main complications of diabetes. These connected socks measure the temperature of the feet in real-time.

Every year in the United States, 100,000 diabetic patients have to be amputated because of poorly treated ulcers. In France, there are 10 times less, with 10,000 amputations performed.

Foot injuries are particularly dangerous for people with diabetes, as poor blood flow prevents the wound from healing properly and can lead to infection or gangrene. A small injury caused by a blister due to the friction of a new shoe, a badly cut nail or a hardwood can lead to a complication.

For example, it is estimated that 15% of diabetic patients are at risk of amputation in the event of an ulcer.

An American start-up, Siren care, has tackled this problem by developing connected socks, capable of measuring the temperature of the feet in real-time and thus preventing amputations of the lower limbs.

Specifically, sensors have been integrated into the sock fabric to make the measurement more accurate, and alert the patient, via an application, in case of inflammation of the skin.

Clinical trials are planned with UCSF University in San Francisco, but the start-up has already launched commercialization of the product by offering its diabetic dress socks in packs of 7, for each day of the week, in presale on its website, for $120.

With 30 million Americans with diabetes, the disease is one of the three diseases that kill the most people with cancer and heart disease. In France, in 2013, more than 3 million people with diabetes were taking medication for diabetes, or 4.7% of the population. In addition, there are people with diabetes who do not know, about 700,000 people according to the Invs (National Institute for Health Watch).

The epidemic is now being referred to as global figures change: THE World Health Organization (WHO) predicts 622 million people worldwide by 2040. Overweight, obesity, lack of physical activity are the main factors causing the disease.

The awareness of the seriousness of the epidemic led the United Nations to declare 14 November each year "United Nations World Diabetes Day".