Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Anemia is one of the important complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), adversely affecting the progression and development of other diabetes-related complications. Despite this, little information is available on the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These associated factors are older age, worsening renal function, cardiovascular disease (stroke or ischemic heart disease), peripheral vascular disease, longer duration of T2DM and not using Angiotensin Converting Enzyme(ACE) inhibitor/Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blocker (ARB). Based on this information, our study was designed to investigate the role of factors associated with anemia in T2DM.

Methods: Patients with normocytic anemia (NCA), either unexplained or related to chronic kidney disease, were recruited from our endocrinology clinic over sixty months. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 249 patients with NCA whose estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was greater than 30 ml/min/1.73 m2. Anemia was hemoglobin < 130 g/l for men and <120 g/l for women. Relevant data were obtained through a review of medical records.

Results: The prevalence of NCA was 11,7% (29) of the patients. When patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of anemia; age was statistically significantly higher (74 vs. 69 years, P < 0.001) and glomerular filtration rate was statistically significantly lower (61 vs. 79 ml/min/1.73 m2, P < 0.001) in the group with anemia. However, the duration of T2DM, glycosylated hemoglobin (Hba1c), insulin use, ACE-ARB use, other comorbidities, smoking, and alcohol history were comparable.

Conclusion: Nomocytic anemia in patients with T2DM is associated with older age and lower GFR values. Therefore, screening for anemia should be incorporated into the routine assessment of diabetic complications, particularly for those with significant associated factors.