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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level
05:35

A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level

Published on: January 19, 2024

Prevalence of anaemia in patients with diabetes mellitus

T J Cawood1, U Buckley, A Murray

  • 1Dept of Endocrinology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin.

Irish Journal of Medical Science
|July 29, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Anaemia is common in diabetes patients, affecting 11% of males and 16% of females. Routine screening for anaemia in diabetes clinics is recommended, even without obvious kidney disease.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Nephrology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Anaemia is increasingly recognized in patients with diabetes mellitus.
  • Diabetes management requires attention to associated complications like anaemia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of anaemia in a diabetes patient population.
  • To identify factors associated with anaemia in these patients.

Main Methods:

  • Measured haemoglobin (Hb) levels in patients attending annual diabetes reviews.
  • Classified anaemia based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.

Main Results:

  • 11% of males and 16% of females were found to be anaemic.
  • Most anaemic patients had normal or near-normal kidney function (serum creatinine <110micromol/l and creatinine clearance >60ml/min).

Conclusions:

  • Anaemia is prevalent in patients attending routine diabetes outpatient clinics.
  • Routine anaemia screening is supported for all diabetes outpatients, including those without overt nephropathy.
Abstract

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