Anemia in Diabetes – An Added Dilemma

Aim: To study the frequency of anemia in diabetes of an adult population.

Methodology: This cross-sectional observational study included 277 adult patients, above the age of 18 years, who were diagnosed as having diabetes by clinical and laboratory basis and were considerably controlled on their prescribed management. The study was conducted in Creek General Hospital Karachi from October to December 2020 by random based sampling technique. After a written consent answers were noted according to the questionnaire and the relevant data was tabulated and analyzed. Patients with complications or with other chronic illness, except hypertension, were excluded. The data was evaluated for the frequency of anemia in diabetics, categorizing the severity of anemia into mild, moderate, and severe. Universal variables like gender and age were assessed.

Results: Among the 277 patients in the study, there were 121(43.7%) males and 156 (56.3%) females. There were 17 (6%) in the young age group, 162 (58.5%) in the middle age group and 98 (35.4%) elders. The mean hemoglobin was 11.1 gm/dl. Out of 277 there were 222 (80%) who fell in the category of anemia. There were 90 out of 121 (74%) males who were anemic and 132 out of 156 (84%) females who were anemic. The most frequent category of anemia was moderate anemia (48%) followed by mild category (46%). Mild anemia was more frequent in males while moderate anemia was more prevalent in females. Anemia was higher in percentage in the younger group (88%). Mild to moderate anemia was more prevalent than severe in all age groups. 81% of hypertensive, diabetic patients was anemic. 78% smokers had anemia. There was visible increase in frequency of anemia as the duration of diabetes increased. Conclusion: Anemia is highly prevalent in diabetics.