title: Anemia and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although chronic kidney disease-induced anemia is more prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), anemia is a common finding prior to manifestation of kidney disease. In presence of some risk factors at the time of diagnosing DM, microvascular complications must be considered. The effect of anemia as a risk factor on progression of DM complications is still unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and its association with microvascular complications in patients with type 2 DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was performed in the outpatient endocrinology clinic at Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Study was done from February 2011 to February 2012. Patients with type 2 DM without any obvious symptom or sign of anemia were included in study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 93 patients (30.4%) had anemia including 46 (15.1%) with normochromic normocytic, 44 (14.4%) with hyperchromic microcytic, and 3 (1%) with hyperchromic macrocytic anemias. There was a positive correlation between duration of DM and anemia. Microvascular complications were more frequent with normocytic or microcytic anemias. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was higher in patients without anemia; moreover, nephropathy was less frequent among them. Among patients with anemia, 43% had GFR of more than 90 mL/min and 19.4% had normoalbuminuria. Neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy had strong association with anemia (odds ratio of 1.99, 1.7, and 1.5, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anemia is a common complication of DM and is associated with duration of disease and microvascular complications.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahboobeh Sadat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rostami
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, School of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saadat
authors.affiliation: Students Center for Medical Research, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sayyed Mehdi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saadatmand
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Department, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Effat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Naeimi
keywords: Anemia; Diabetes Mellitus; Microvascular Complications