Relationship between Anemia and Chronic Complications in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

To evaluate the potential association of anemia with micro- and macrovascular complications in Chinese patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

A total of 1997 patients with T2DM were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients were defined as anemic, if hemoglobin (Hb) levels were < 13 g/dL in males and < 12 g/dL in females. Data on demographics, anthropometric parameters, and co-morbidities were extracted for each patient.

Twenty two percent of T2DM patients (439/1997) had anemia, and those patients with higher rates of micro- and macrovascular complications had higher rates of anemia. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that anemia was a risk factor of microvascular complications (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.45 - 2.31; P < 0.001) and macrovascular complications (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.63 - 2.71; P < 0.001). After adjusting for conventional risk factors, anemia remained positively associated with microvascular complications (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.17 - 1.99), but lost its association with macrovascular complications (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.73 - 1.41). Anemia was also independently associated with diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy.

These findings suggest that anemia was related to both micro- and macrovascular complications in Chinese patients with T2DM, but was only an independent risk factor of microvascular complications. Assessment of Hb levels in T2DM patients may help to prevent subsequent diabetic micro- and macrovascular complications.