Table 1 Baseline characteristics of diabetic foot ulcer patients in the two age groups
|  | All (N = 422) | Middle-aged (N = 175) | Elderly (N = 247) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Demographics | ||||
 Age (years) | 66.2 ± 12.0 | 54.5 ± 8.0 | 74.4 ± 6.1 | <0.001 |
 Gender (male/female) | 265/157 | 116/59 | 149/98 | 0.212 |
 BMI (kg/m2) | 22.6 ± 2.9 | 22.4 ± 3.1 | 22.8 ± 2.8 | 0.190 |
 Alcohol consumption (yes/no) | 128/294 | 67/108 | 61/186 | 0.004 |
 Smoking habit (yes/no) | 149/273 | 76/99 | 73/174 | 0.004 |
Diabetic history | ||||
 Diabetes type (type1/type 2) | 8/414 | 8/167 | 0/247 | 0.001 |
 Diabetic duration (years) | 9.7 ± 7.7 | 7.9 ± 6.2 | 11.0 ± 8.4 | <0.001 |
 Treatment: no treatment/oral drugs/insulin | 32/160/230 | 22/59/96 | 12/101/134 | 0.027 |
Laboratory test | ||||
 Fastingplasma glucose (mmol/L) | 11.4 ± 5.4 | 12.2 ± 6.0 | 10.9 ± 4.9 | 0.017 |
 HbA1c (%) | 9.2 ± 2.4 | 9.6 ± 2.8 | 8.2 ± 2.1 | 0.003 |
 Haemoglobin (g/l) | 115 (102–129) | 118 (100–129) | 114 (103–129) | 0.894 |
 Serum albumin (g/l) | 34.3 ± 6.2 | 34.1 ± 6.7 | 34.5 ± 5.8 | 0.512 |
 White blood cells (103/l) | 8.7 ± 4.4 | 8.9 ± 5.1 | 8.57 ± 3.8 | 0.482 |
 eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) | 74.9 ± 28.8 | 86.7 ± 30.2 | 66.5 ± 24.5 | <0.001 |
 Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.0 ± 1.1 | 4.0 ± 1.0 | 4.1 ± 1.0 | 0.325 |
 Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 1.4 ± 0.7 | 1.3 ± 0.7 | 1.4 ± 0.7 | 0.194 |
 LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.3 ± 0 .8 | 2.3 ± 0 .9 | 2.3 ± 0.8 | 0.377 |
 HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.1 ± 0 .3 | 1.1 ± 0 .4 | 1.1 ± 0 .3 | 0.686 |
Comorbidities | ||||
 Hypertension (yes/no) | 273/149 | 89/86 | 184/63 | <0.001 |
 Coronary heart disease (yes/no) | 69/353 | 16/159 | 53/194 | 0.001 |
 History of stroke (yes/no) | 44/378 | 6/169 | 38/209 | <0.001 |
Diabetic complication | ||||
 Nephropathy (yes/no) | 176/246 | 68/107 | 108/139 | 0.318 |
 Peripheral artery disease (1/2/3) | 211/127/84 | 120/36/19 | 91/91/65 | <0.001 |
 Retinopathy (yes/no) | 125/297 | 64/111 | 61/186 | 0.008 |
 Peripheral neuropathy (yes/no) | 313/109 | 139/36 | 174/73 | 0.042 |
Ulcer characteristics | ||||
 Duration of ulcer (days) | 57.6 ± 78.6 | 54.5 ± 77.2 | 56.3 ± 79.7 | 0.815 |
 Extent (cm2) | 8.1 ± 16.0 | 10.5 ± 21.5 | 6.4 ± 10.30 | 0.019 |
 Depth (1/2/3) | 97/249/76 | 43/91/41 | 54/158/35 | 0.021 |
 Infection (1/2/3/4) | 18/245/130/29 | 6/108/49/12 | 12/137/81/17 | 0.584 |
 Debridement (yes/no) | 155/267 | 67/108 | 88/159 | 0.609 |
 Antibiotics (≤ 1/≥ 2) | 247/175 | 92/83 | 155/92 | 0.045 |
 Revascularization (yes/no) | 47/357 | 10/165 | 37/210 | 0.003 |