Blueberry Extract Can Improve Wound Healing
Chronic wounds are a pervasive problem. Data presented at Experimental Biology 2022 from the University of Maine showed wound treatments with wild blueberry extract may help improve vascularization and cell migration, leading to better wound healing. 1 According to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2 1% of the patients now account for about 22% of health care expenses and the top 5% spend 40% of inpatient health care dollars. One of the more complex segments within this patient population is people with chronic wounds. According to data published in Value in Health, 3 nearly 15%, or 8.2 million people, who were enrolled in Medicare in 2014 had at least one type of wound or infection. The total Medicare costs range from $28.1 billion to $96.8 billion, with the highest estimates for surgical wounds and diabetic foot ulcers. A 2019 review of 11 studies estimates that the prevalence of chronic wounds was 2.21 per 1,000 and c...