Issued: Tue, 26 Jan 2021 07:00:42 GMT
The number of Scottish veterans who sustain an amputation through disease is far greater than the number who have lost limbs in conflict, according to new research.
The study – from the University of Glasgow and published in
BMJ Military Health – found that in the long term, the most common cause of limb loss in veterans is diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (blockage of arteries).
The research also found that, despite veterans having more risk factors such as smoking, their rate of disease-related amputation is no different from people in the wider community.
During the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 300 military personnel sustained injuries resulting in amputation but the number of UK veterans who lose limbs to disease has been largely unknown.