A Prospective Study on Prevalence and Causes of Anaemia in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Anaemia is a contributor for adverse prognosis in Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), but the epidemiology and causes of anaemia in such patients is not defined.

To study the prevalence and aetiology of anaemia in hospitalized patients with ACS.

All consecutive patients admitted with ACS from January to March, 2010 were included. Their clinical information was recorded.

Of 130 (87 males) consecutive admissions for ACS, 47.7% had unstable angina, 10% had Non ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) and 42.3% had ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Overall prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin <130 g/l in men and <120 g/l in women) was 51.5% (n=67) and was more prevalent in women (n=30, 69.8%) than men (n=37, 42.5%). Moderate to severe anaemia was more in women (34.9%) compared to men (20.8%). Anaemia was more common in unstable angina patients (58.2%) than in NSTEMI (11.9%) or STEMI (29.9%) patients (p=0.013). Aspirin (p<0.01) and/or clopidogrel intake (p<0.01) and raised serum creatinine (p<0.01) were more often in anaemic patients. Heart failure (p<0.01) and triple vessel disease (p<0.05) were associated with anaemia. Multivariate predictors of duration of hospital stay were haemoglobin (p<0.05) at admission and revascularisation procedure (p=0.01) during hospital stay. The most common cause of anaemia was iron deficiency (29.9%).

Anaemia was common in our patients admitted with ACS. Female gender, antiplatelet drug intake and raised creatinine were associated with anaemia, which in turn was associated with adverse in-hospital outcomes. The impact of correcting anaemia on outcomes in ACS needs long term prospective study.