Ponte Vedra Beach, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RedDress is launching a nationwide public awareness campaign, “Break the Silence,” educating Americans about the prevalence and prevention methods of diabetic foot ulcers.
Diabetic foot ulcers are sometimes omitted from the national discussion about diabetes and its complications. “Break the Silence” aims to reduce the stigmas associated with diabetic foot ulcers, while promoting and educating Americans about the prevalence and risk factors associated with this complication of diabetes. “Break the Silence” will run through November and coincide with National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Approximately 25 percent of diabetics will suffer a diabetic foot ulcer in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1,2
“These ulcers are as serious as some cancers. We need to have a national conversation. Right now, we’re looking at diabetes in very broad strokes. I think we have to have a greater dialogue and more information about diabetic foot ulcers, in general,” expressed Dr. Robert Snyder, Dean of Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami, one of our partner physicians participating in the “Break the Silence ” campaign.
“Break the Silence” empowers diabetics to take control of the prevention and treatment of their diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic foot ulcers are currently the leading cause of limb loss. Of all the lower extremity amputations in individuals with diabetes, 85% are preceded by a diabetic foot ulcer3. Amputations can drastically change an individual’s life.
“When you have an open wound, you’re suffering. You’re not whole,” said Dr. Naz Wahab, MD., of Wound Care Experts in Las Vegas, another partner physician participating in the campaign.
“The mortality and amputation rates associated with diabetic foot ulcers can be reduced. Patient awareness is a good starting point for reducing these rates. If the stigmatization around diabetic foot ulcers is reduced and patients are more aware of diabetic foot ulcers, individuals will be more likely to get help earlier. We must work together to prevent further amputations,” said Alon Kushnir, CEO of RedDress.
As part of the campaign, RedDress has partnered with two respected medical professionals, Dr. Naz Wahab, MD, in Las Vegas, Nevada and Dr. Robert Snyder, DPM, in Miami, Florida to develop these materials. The public awareness campaign is a digital, web-based campaign that features a moving educational video and downloadable materials focused on preventing and treating diabetic foot ulcers. Resources can be downloaded here at https://reddressmedical.com/bts/.
“If you are a diabetic suffering from a non-healing wound, you deserve a cost-effective treatment to help heal your wound and get back to your normal life,” said Dr. Naz Wahab, MD.
About RedDress
RedDress (www.reddressmedical.com) is a privately held, Israel-based company with a U.S. subsidiary, RedDress Inc., located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Founded in 2009 with the goal of developing more effective, natural, and economically viable treatments for chronic wounds, RedDress is committed to improving the health and lives of patients around the world with its latest innovation – ActiGraft®.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020.
2 Jalilian, M., Ahmadi Sarbarzeh, P., & Oubari, S. (2020). Factors Related to Severity of Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Systematic Review. Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy, 13, 1835–1842. https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S256243
3 Edmonds, M., Manu, C., & Vas, P. (2021). The current burden of diabetic foot disease. Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma, 17, 88–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcot.2021.01.017
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