Latest research has brought to light that wounds that do not heal could be hint to some kind of inherent autoimmune disease. This condition of wounds not healing is usually found in diabetics because the high sugar content in blood prevents healing. However, when a normal person who has not been diagnosed with diabetes has wounds that do not heal, it could indicate a more serious problem. As of now, there are thousands of Americans who suffer from the problems of wounds not healing. The research was carried out in Georgetown University Medical Center.The pioneer of the study is Dr. Victoria Shanmugam, M.D. She specializes in rheumatology. She noticed that several of the patients that she treats have wounds that are problematic. This condition was seen in people who have autoimmune diseases. In fact, the doctor found that wounds took longer to heal in people who suffered from autoimmune diseases than in people who had diabetes.

In order to analyze the study further, Dr. Shanmugam along with her colleagues considered a number of cases who had trouble with wounds. The study concurred with the initial hypothesis and it was found that wound did indeed take longer to heal in people who were also diagnosed with autoimmune disorder. The study was conducted at Georgetown University Hospital, which has a high traffic of people who come to be treated for wounds. The study period was 2009 and different open wounds such as leg ulcers were considered. A total of 340 patients were studied with detailed study on their health condition.

The researcher said that as expected, nearly half the study group, 49% to be precise, were diabetics. However, it was also found that 23% of the people who had problems with their wounds were diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. The link between these two conditions, autoimmune disorder and wounds, has not been known until the results of this study were made public. People who suffered from autoimmune disorders were also more likely to contract problems such as rheumatoid arthritis and livedoid vasculopathy.

The lead researcher said that wounds that do not heal can cause a lot of stress to patients, which add to the woes brought forth by autoimmune disorders. It was also found that as autoimmune disorder was healed gradually, the incidence of wounds not healing also improved. The researcher said that when wounds do not heal after repeated treatments that span over three to four months, it is important for the doctor to prescribe tests to eliminate the risk of autoimmune disease.