Diabetes & Primary Care’s series of interactive case studies is aimed at all healthcare professionals in primary and community care who would like to broaden their understanding of diabetes.
These three scenarios review the causes, diagnosis and management of peripheral artery disease, including intermittent claudication, chronic limb-threatening ischaemia and acute limb ischaemia.
The format uses typical clinical scenarios as tools for learning. Information is provided in short sections, with most ending in a question to answer before moving on to the next section.
Working through the case studies will improve our knowledge and problem-solving skills in diabetes care by encouraging us to make evidence-based decisions in the context of individual cases.
Readers are invited to respond to the questions by typing in their answers. In this way, we are actively involved in the learning process, which is hopefully a much more effective way to learn.
By actively engaging with these case histories, readers will feel more confident and empowered to manage such presentations effectively in the future.
John is a 56-year-old man with a 5-year history of type 2 diabetes. He attends surgery reporting left calf pain brought on by walking or climbing stairs, which eases with rest. His symptoms have become more prominent over the last 3 months.
What diagnoses might you consider following John’s opening statement?
Mira is a 49-year-old lady of South Asian ethnicity with a 7-year history of type 2 diabetes. She presents at the GP surgery with right foot pain that has steadily increased over 2–3 months and is now present all the time. She does not report any trauma to her right foot.
What diagnoses might you consider here?
Jack is a 67-year-old man with type 2 diabetes. He presents with sudden onset of a persistently painful, cold left leg (within the last 24 hours). The leg is pale and mottled, but not swollen, and leg pulses are absent. Radial pulse is 130 beats per minute and irregular.
What is the likely pathology here?
By working through this interactive case study, we will review causes, diagnosis and management of peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Small but significant 12% increased risk of developing chronic cough compared to treatment with other second-line agents for type 2 diabetes.
8 Dec 2025