Frequency of Anemia Among the Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Attending Outpatient Clinic of Mirpurkhas, Sindh

Abstract

Background: Anemia is the most common blood disorder in patients with Type 2 diabetes. The hematological profile of diabetic patients is often missed clinically until to start the manifestation of clinical features of anemia. Anemia increases the hindrances and financial burden on the patient by frequent hospitalization. It increases the risk of microvascular complications, heart diseases, morbidity and death in diabetes mellitus. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize and treat anemia for the sake of patient care.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of anemia in Type 2 Diabetic patients attending diabetic outpatients clinics of Mirpurkhas, Sindh.

Methodology: A case-control study has been done to compare the hemoglobin level of Type 2 diabetics and non-diabetics. The data was collected over a period of three months from the patients who were visiting the diabetes clinic for their regular checkup. Data for controls were collected from the patient’s attendants. Diabetics and non-diabetics were under observations throughout the period. There were 206 subjects’ including 106 diabetics (52 females and 54 males) and 100 non-diabetics (50 females and 50 males). Research concerns included the duration of the disease, family history & presence of hypertension. Methods such as cyan methemoglobin were used to estimate hemoglobin & random blood glucose by glucose oxidase as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and then read through Micro-lab 300 chemistry analyzer.

Results: The frequency of occurrence of anemia in diabetics was 33.3% in males and 48.1% in females. Whereas in controls, 16.0% males and 32.0% females were anemic. The family history of diabetes and hypertension was also found higher among diabetic individuals as compare to healthy counterparts.

Conclusion: The study has shown that anemia is twice as common in diabetics as compared with non-diabetics. Early diagnosis of anemia in a diabetic patient, and to treat so, will improve the quality of life and delay the complications to be developed in these patients.