Diabetes-related amputations of lower extremities in the Medicare population--Minnesota, 1993-1995.

Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations (LEAs) in the United States and accounts for 45%-70% of all nontraumatic LEAs . Approximately half of diabetes-related LEAs occur among persons aged > or =65 years. To assess LEA hospitalization rates and costs for Medicare enrollees aged > or =65 years with and without diabetes, the Minnesota Diabetes Control Program (DCP) and Stratis Health (Minnesota Medicare Quality Improvement Organization) analyzed data for federal fiscal years 1993-1995 (October 1992-September 1995). This report summarizes the findings, which indicate that the LEA Medicare hospitalization rate for persons with diabetes was nearly 13 times the rate for persons without diabetes.