Obstructive sleep apnea risk and its association with diabetic foot ulcer in patients with type 2 diabetes

By
Raquel Ruano
María Teresa Charles
Josep León-Mengíbar
Ferran Barbé
Angel Michael Ortiz-Zúñiga
Marta Hernández
Cristina Hernández
Rafael Simó
Albert Lecube
May 29, 2026
0 min

Frontiers In Endocrinology

Objective:

To compare STOP-Bang-defined OSA risk between T2D patients with and without DFU and explore the association between OSA risk and DFU severity and healing outcomes.

Key Findings:

DFU patients had a higher STOP-Bang score than controls (4.3 ± 2.0 vs. 3.2 ± 2.2, p=0.004).
More DFU patients were classified as having intermediate/high OSA risk (83.6% vs. 60.3%, p=0.002).
Higher ulcer severity was associated with moderate/high STOP-Bang-defined OSA risk (97.1% vs. 71.8%; p=0.004).
Median healing time was longer in those with moderate/high OSA risk (120.0 vs. 65.0 days, p=0.032).

Interpretation:

STOP-Bang-defined OSA risk was associated with greater DFU severity and delayed wound healing.

Limitations:

Study did not match for sex, which may affect results and introduce bias.
Observational design limits causal inferences.

Conclusion:

Incorporating OSA risk stratification into routine assessment of patients with DFU may help identify individuals at higher risk of poor outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

Obstructive sleep apnea risk and its association with diabetic foot ulcer in patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective:

Key Findings:

Interpretation:

Limitations:

Conclusion:

Original Source(s)

Obstructive sleep apnea risk and its association with diabetic foot ulcer in patients with type 2 diabetes

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