Grant funds study
on slipper injuriesA Big Isle doctor will look
at how footwear could hurt diabetics
WAIMEA, Hawaii >> Dr. Doug Hiller, of North Hawaii Community Hospital, has received a grant to study whether wearing rubber slippers leads to serious injuries among diabetics, the hospital announced.
The source and amount of the grant were not disclosed.
Diabetes causes decreased blood circulation and increased pressure in the feet, the hospital said. That leads to numbness of the nerves in the feet. The result is more injured feet and less ability to feel the injuries. In extreme cases, feet must be amputated.
Footwear can protect against this process or can make it worse, depending on whether it properly distributes a person's weight, the hospital said.
Hiller's nonprofit research group Labman Hawaii will study how well rubber slippers distribute pressures in the feet. Hiller's theory is that slippers do a bad job of providing support.
Labman Hawaii will use sensor mats to determine the foot pressure of a person standing still and sensors inserted into slippers to gauge pressures while a person is walking.
Fifteen people with Type II diabetes, the most common type, are participating in the study for two months. Data from them will be compared with 15 people without diabetes.
The study also will include a survey of footwear usage in Big Island communities.