The Johns Hopkins Evidence-based Practice Center won a $475,000 grant to conduct a study to determine the best care for chronic wounds.

The wounds are a growing problem as the population ages and obesity and diabetes become more prevelant. An estimated $25 billion is spent annually on care in the United States and more than six million pople have such wounds, that can be painful and debilitating. The most common types of wounds and skin ulcers are related to veins that become diseased or abnormal and are often a sign of a greater health problem.

The funds come from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which wanted to know which treatment options were best and should be the standard of care. The study will be conducted by the Johns Hopkins Wound Center and the Hopkins Evidence-based Practice Center.

“The information we gather and present will help countless clinicians and patients to make better, more educated decisions about the best course of treatment to heal wounds,” said Dr. Gerald Lazarus, founder of the Wound Center and professor of dermatology and medicine at Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, who will co-lead study.

The researchers will analyze data from existing trials, studies and other research about wound care and determine the value of such treatments as medications, antibiotics, dressings and surgery for healing the wounds.