ANEMIA AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTOR IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYTICAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/4jx4nd19Keywords:
Anemia, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Infections, Renal Insufficiency, Risk Factors, Thrombocytosis, Urban Population.Abstract
Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is a chronic metabolic disorder increasingly associated with systemic complications beyond hyperglycemia. Among these, anemia remains under-recognized despite its potential to worsen morbidity, functional capacity, and cardiovascular risk. Limited regional evidence exists regarding the burden of anemia and its associated risk factors among diabetic populations in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Objective: To determine the frequency of anemia and identify associated risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included 150 patients with confirmed DM2 recruited from multiple healthcare facilities in Peshawar. Blood samples were collected under aseptic conditions. Hematological parameters were analyzed using the Sysmex 1000i automated hematology analyzer based on Coulter’s principle. Biochemical parameters were measured using the COBAS-360 system operating on electrogenerated chemiluminescence. Anemia was classified according to WHO criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Chi-square test was applied to assess associations, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Among 150 participants, 89 (59.3%) were females and 61 (40.7%) were males. Anemia was identified in 93 (62.0%) patients. Of the anemic individuals, 71 (47.3%) had mild anemia, 19 (12.7%) had moderate anemia, and 3 (2.0%) had severe anemia. Normocytic normochromic anemia was the predominant morphological type. Significant associations were observed between anemia and educational qualification (p=0.03), duration of diabetes (p=0.02), frequent infections (p=0.006), elevated creatinine (p=0.006), raised blood urea (p=0.001), increased alkaline phosphatase (p=0.011), and thrombocytosis (p=0.001). No significant association was found with sex (p=0.77), diabetic meal plan adherence (p=0.94), smoking (p=0.79), exercise (p=0.50), or other chronic complications.
Conclusion: Anemia was highly prevalent among patients with DM2 and was significantly associated with longer disease duration, lower educational status, recurrent infections, renal impairment markers, and thrombocytosis. Routine hematological screening should be integrated into diabetic care to facilitate early identification and comprehensive management of high-risk patients.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Asif Zeb, Abdul Razaq, Azhar Mehmood, Tanzeel Saleem Gandapur, Ahmad Raza, Muhammad Alamgir Khan, Ahmad Ullah, Zakir Ahmad (Author)
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