The impact of gender on diabetes-related lower extremity amputations: An Italian regional analysis on trends and predictors

•A significant reduction of LEAs was observed only for males. Clinicians should be aware that time trends did not showed an improvement for women.•Recording these disparities and identifying their predictable factors may help caregivers to provide higher standards of diabetes care.•Peripheral vascular disease was the leading predictor of major and minor amputations.Age over 85 and more than 3 comorbidities were parameters associated only with major amputations.•These findings may have important implications, in order to develop screening and prevention strategies targeted for women. Diabetes-related lower extremity amputations (LEAs) are a major public health issue. The aim of the study was to evaluate trends by gender and predictors of LEAs in an Italian region. Data were collected from hospital discharge records between 2006 and 2015. Gender- and age-adjusted standardised hospitalisation rates for major and minor amputations were calculated. Poisson regression model was performed to estimate trends in LEAs. Hospitalisation rates decreased for minor amputations both among males (−30.0%) and females (−5.3%), while the major amputation rates decreased only for males (−44.7%). Males were at higher risk of undergoing major (IRR 1.41, 95%CI 1.19–1.67) and minor (IRR 1.62, 95%CI 1.45–1.82) amputations. Peripheral vascular disease was the leading predictor of major and minor amputations. A significant reduction of LEAs was observed only for males. Identifying their predictable factors may help caregivers to provide higher standards of diabetes care.