Antidepressants and Diabetic Foot Ulcer: An Unclear Relationship: A Narrative Review
Novelty in Biomedicine,
Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026),
8 February 2026
,
Page 49-53
https://doi.org/10.22037/nbm.v14i1.50051
Abstract
Background: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus that burdens patients’ psychophysical activities. Some studies mentioned that antidepressants, as common drugs that are widely prescribed to diabetics because of their psychiatric problems, may worsen diabetic foot ulcers and their outcomes. However, the results of studies lack consensus. In this study, we aimed to review the results of previous studies regarding the relationship between antidepressant use and diabetic foot ulcer.
Materials and Methods: The keywords “antidepressant” AND/OR “diabetic foot ulcer” AND/OR “diabetic foot” were searched in the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Elsevier databases (from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2025). Review articles, in-vitro studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, editorials, non-English full-text, and not-reachable full-text studies were excluded.
Results: Seven studies were assessed from 87 articles. Most of them (5 of 7) showed that antidepressant use worsened DFU or amputation-related conditions like re-infection. However, one study revealed that antidepressants improved the related condition, and another study mentioned that there is no association between antidepressants and DFU.
Conclusion: Although some studies revealed that antidepressants may increase the risk of DFU and amputation, further studies should investigate this relationship because there are limited studies in this respect.
- Antidepressants
- Amputation
- Diabetic foot
- Diabetic foot ulcer
How to Cite
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