Diabetic Foot Emerges as the Most Concerned Complication in Baidu Health and Mölnlycke Joint Diabetes Report
“Approximately 280,000 people in China undergo amputation due to diabetic foot each year.” “Diabetes can lead to more than 100 types of complications.” … During the recently observed United Nations World Diabetes Day, related topics once topped the trending lists on social media platforms, as all sectors of society made concerted efforts to educate the public about the severe hazards of diabetic complications and diabetic foot.
The theme of the 2022 United Nations World Diabetes Day was “Education to Protect Tomorrow.” To gain insights into public awareness of diabetes and its complications, Baidu Health, in collaboration with Mölnlycke, released the *Insight Atlas on the Prevention and Management of Diabetes and Its Complications* (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”), calling on the public to heighten their awareness of diabetes and its complications, engage in early prevention and evidence-based treatment, and mitigate the health hazards posed by diabetes.
Globally, the number of people with diabetes continues to rise. According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there were 537 million adults with diabetes worldwide in 2021, including 141 million adults in China, where the prevalence rate has reached as high as 11.6%. Between 2000 and 2011, the number of diabetes patients in China tripled; from 2011 to 2021, it still increased by 56%, and is projected to remain on an upward trend over the next two decades.
However, in reality, many patients are unaware that they have diabetes. According to research data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in 2018, the awareness rate of diabetes among adults in China was only 36.7%. Only 32.9% of patients received standardized treatment, and among them, 50.1% achieved effective blood glucose control. In this context, it is urgent to enhance public awareness of diabetes.
Report data indicate that public interest in diabetes has continued to rise over the past three years. Compared with 2019, the level of attention to diabetes increased by 52% in 2022, with a three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%.
Regarding specific topics of interest, among the top 20 most-searched diabetes-related terms, those related to diabetes and its complication symptoms were the most prevalent, accounting for eight entries. Among these, “diabetic foot” was the diabetic complication that garnered the highest level of attention.
Diabetic complications are categorized into acute and chronic complications, which can affect various organ systems throughout the body. The primary harm of diabetes stems precisely from these complications. Among the many common complications, diabetic foot receives the highest level of attention.
Search indices show that over the past three years, public interest in diabetic foot has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27%, bringing this complication increasingly into the public eye.
Notably, the report shows that when the search index for “diabetic foot” is “high,” searches for “amputation” account for 15.10% of related queries, indicating that users have a certain awareness of the amputation risk associated with diabetic foot and recognize its severe consequences.
In the field of diabetic foot treatment, many users seek information on therapeutic approaches through online searches. The report indicates that among the treatments of public interest, amputation is undoubtedly the primary concern for users, followed by dressings as wound care products.
Local wound management has become a critical component in the care of diabetic foot ulcers, with dressings serving as one of the primary tools.
Regarding dressing selection, the "Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetic Foot" recommend prioritizing wound dressings that are cost-effective and possess composite functions, such as antimicrobial activity, active absorption or drainage of exudate, maintenance of appropriate wound moisture, and anti-adhesion properties. Alternatively, various single-function dressings may be flexibly selected and applied in layers based on the specific condition of the wound.
In fact, the industry is continuously developing dressing products that meet patient needs, such as novel foam dressings, to raise public awareness of diabetic foot wound management and enhance treatment willingness, thereby reducing the harm caused by diabetic foot.
Baidu Health is a health management platform incubated and developed by Baidu, serving over 100 million healthcare users daily and fulfilling more than 200 million precise medical and health-related searches per day. Mölnlycke, originating from Sweden, is a medical solutions company with a century-long history. While remaining accountable to its customers, it also proactively assumes broader social responsibilities. The collaboration between Baidu Health and Mölnlycke aims to leverage insights from diabetes-related search indices to raise public awareness of diabetes and its complications.
It is important to note that the report also emphasizes that both treatment and care must be strictly conducted under the guidance of healthcare professionals, with regular monitoring of wound healing and other indicators to facilitate recovery.