Prevalence of anaemia in inflammatory bowel disease in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study in patients from private practices and university hospitals.
BACKGROUND
Anaemia represents a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Most studies on anaemia in IBD patients have been performed in tertiary referral centres (RC) and data from gastroenterologic practices (GP) are lacking. We investigated the frequency and severity of anaemia in IBD patients from tertiary referral centres and gastroenterologic practices compared to the general population.


METHODS
Data were acquired from patients included in the Swiss IBD Cohort Study. IBD activity was evaluated by CDAI and modified Truelove and Witts severity index (MTWSI). Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin ≤120g/L in women and ≤130g/L in men.


RESULTS
125 patients from RC (66 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 59 with ulcerative colitis (UC)) and 116 patients from GP (71 CD and 45 UC) were included and compared to 6074 blood donors. Anaemia was found in 21.2% (51/241) of the IBD patients and more frequently in patients from RC as compared to GP and healthy controls (28.8% vs. 12.9% vs. 3.4%; P<0.01). IBD patients from RC suffered more frequently from active disease compared to IBD patients in GP (36% vs. 23%, P=0.032). Supplementation therapy (iron, vitamin B12, folic acid) was performed in 40% of anaemic IBD patients in GP as compared to 43% in RC.


CONCLUSIONS
Anaemia is a common complication in patients with IBD and significantly more prevalent in patients from referral centres as compared to patients from gastroenterologic practices. Physicians treating IBD patients should pay attention to the presence of anaemia and ensure sufficient supplementation therapy.
Division of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.
Manuela
M
Voegtlin
Stephan R
SR
Vavricka
Alain M
AM
Schoepfer
Alex
A
Straumann
Juerg
J
Voegtlin
Gerhard
G
Rogler
Pierluigi
P
Ballabeni
Valérie
V
Pittet
Andreas
A
Buser
Michael
M
Fried
Christoph
C
Beglinger
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000032:analysis; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011331:Private Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron; D014805:Vitamin B 12