feet4life ®

If you have diabetes, a common complication is that you may experience problems with your foot health. In fact, it’s a much-feared problem and it can become very serious very quickly if it’s not detected early enough. That’s where feet4life® comes in. We believe that prevention is always better than cure.


WHY DO PEOPLE WITH DIABETES HAVE FOOT PROBLEMS?
High blood sugar levels not only directly damage very small blood vessels but also may damage the nerves themselves. These nerves are very important and help keep your feet hydrated and able to detect sensation. Loss of vital protective sensation and lack of sweating (loss of sweat glands – known as sudomotors) are both signs that you may be developing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).


DPN can be serious as it can lead to hard-to-treat foot ulcers, lower limb amputations and potentially a much-reduced life expectancy. If you have diabetes, it is very important to detect signs of DPN as early as possible when you may be able to reduce your risk of developing serious complications. We want you to keep your feet for life and to keep on living.


Feet4life® is a unique combination of:


- a simple device (Neuropad®) which detects loss of sweating at a microscopic level in your feet
- a device (feet4life® 10g single-use calibrated monofilament) to test for loss of protective sensation
- this specially developed app


Using this app you can record your results and then forward them direct to a member of your diabetes healthcare team who will provide a diagnosis and advise on the actions that can be taken to reduce your risk of diabetes-related foot disease. These are complementary tests and are only available through feet4life®.


Feet4life® is not a substitute for your annual diabetes foot examination, if you are lucky enough to have one and many people don’t, but it does offer an easy way to keep an important eye on the health of your feet through more frequent quarterly vigilance because foot problems can develop quite quickly.


WHY ARE TWO TESTS BETTER THAN ONE?
Feet4life® uses two tests so your risk can be assessed more accurately. Our unique tests are complementary: Neuropad® is a test for very early signs of DPN whilst the feet4life® 10g monofilament tests for lack of vital protective sensation which is a more advanced sign of DPN.


A Neuropad® resembles a sticking plaster but with a blue pad in the centre. You stick one to the sole of each foot. The pad is highly sensitive to moisture at a molecular level, and it should change colour from blue to a uniform pink within 10 minutes to indicate sufficient moisture in your feet, which provides an indication of the health of your sweat glands.


A feet4life® 10g calibrated monofilament is a test for protective sensation in your feet with 10 points to test on each foot. You’ll need a partner, friend or family member to help you with this test. It takes just a few minutes to test both feet.


In both cases, you record your results using the app and you can then forward your results by text or email to a member of your healthcare team who will then evaluate the results.


We recommend that Feet4life® testing should be carried out every 3 months.


DISCLAIMER
Feet4life® is not intended to diagnose diabetes-related foot disease or treat it. It is a screening system to aid diagnosis. Think of it as the ‘canary in the coal mine’, alerting you to problems before they become serious. Always report your results to a member of your health care team.


Feet4life®, 10-Minute Screening Test® and the three diamonds logo and Neuropad® are registered trademarks. The feet4life® app is copyright © 2024 Skyrocket Phytopharma (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved.