Saluja S, Anderson SG, Hambleton I, et al. - A meta-analysis of all observational studies were conducted to explore the connection between diabetic foot ulcers and risk of death. In total, 11 studies were identified that reported 84,131 deaths from any cause in 446,916 candidates with diabetes during a total of 643,499 person-years of follow-up. For people with diabetes who did not develop foot ulceration, the crude event rate for all-cause mortality was 22% lower at 181.5 deaths than in those who developed foot ulcers. When compared with people without foot ulceration, the authors found an excess rate of all-cause mortality in those with diabetic foot ulceration. In order to reduce excess mortality, early intervention to prevent foot ulceration and modify risk factors for cardiovascular disease is imperative.