Prevalence of anaemia in patients with diabetes mellitus.
BACKGROUND
Anaemia is an increasingly recognised entity in patients with diabetes mellitus.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia in our population of patients with diabetes, and to examine the factors associated with anaemia.


METHODS
The haemoglobin (Hb) levels in a consecutive series of patients attending for annual review of their diabetes over a three-month period were measured. Patients were classified as anaemic as per the WHO criteria.


RESULTS
During the period of study, 270 patients attended for review. Eleven per cent of males and 16% of females were anaemic. Seventy four per cent of anaemic patients had a serum creatinine <110micromol/l and 72% of anaemic patients had a calculated creatinine clearance of >60ml/min.


CONCLUSIONS
Anaemia was relatively common in patients attending for routine outpatient diabetes clinic review. The high prevalence of anaemia supports the routine screening for anaemia in the diabetes out-patient clinic, including in those without overt nephropathy.
Cawood
T J
TJ
Dept of Endocrinology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Buckley
U
U
Murray
A
A
Corbett
M
M
Dillon
D
D
Goodwin
B
B
Sreenan
S
S
D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged