People with diabetes worry about losing their feet. This fear is real. A recent look at data from the UK and China shows how often these serious problems happen. The numbers are not the same everywhere.
In the UK Biobank, about 13 out of every 1,000 people developed foot disease each year. In the Chongqing Diabetes Registry in China, that number jumped to nearly 25 out of 1,000 people per year. The risk of foot ulcers was also higher in the Chinese group.
These differences matter. They suggest that where you live changes your risk. The study calls these numbers descriptive summaries. They are not a single universal rule for everyone. High differences between the groups make it hard to draw one big conclusion.
Doctors need to know that foot disease rates depend on the local setting. Patients should talk to their care team about their specific risk factors. This analysis helps explain why some places see more foot problems than others.