Aim: To study the presence of anaemia in patients with Type 2 DM without nephropathy and to use serum Iron studies as a marker for anaemia. In addition, the incidence and risk of anaemia were assessed according to age, gender, duration of diabetes and glycemic control status.

Methods: The study group consisted of 100 individuals with type 2 diabetes. Patients were divided on the basis of age, gender and duration of diabetes. Fasting and post prandial blood sugars and HbA1C for diabetic profiling, peripheral blood smear and serum Iron studies for anaemic profiling, serum urea and creatinine to rule out nephropathy, were evaluated.

Results: The study showed the prevalence of anaemia was present in 33% of study population. Normochromic normocytic (18%) was the most common type of anaemia amongst them with more female predominance(12%).The duration of diabetes was also associated with increase in incidence of anaemia. Blood sugar levels (fasting and post prandial), glycosylated haemoglobin and serum ferritin values were also significantly higher in anaemic group as compared to non-anaemic group whereas TIBC level and serum Iron was significantly lower in anaemic group as compared to non-anaemic group.

Conclusion: Our study suggested that poor glycemic control, longer duration of disease and old age are associated with increased incidence of anaemia in diabetic patients with normal renal function with normocytic normochromic anemia being the most common type. Another conclusion was that Serum ferritin can be considered as a sensitive marker of iron status and glycemic control in diabetics. So we would like to recommend that routine hematological tests along with blood glucose level and serum iron studies should be done mandatory in diabetic patients in order to give optimal treatment of anaemia in Type-2 diabetes mellitus which may have a potential to make a great impact in managing the various vascular complications of diabetes and thus improving the quality of life.

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National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - NICE

Dr Karandeep Singh

Third year Resident, Department of General Medicine,

MGM Medical College and Hospital,

Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra