Anemia and its association with glycemia and transaminitis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional pilot study

Background and Aims:Anemia impairs glucose homeostasis, affects glycemic control, and predisposes to complications in diabetics. It correlates with oxidative stress and increases the risk of developing microvascular and macrovascular complications. However, it is an underrecognized comorbidity in diabetics. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of anemia in diabetic patients and compare the metabolic profiles of anemic and non-anemic diabetics. Methods:This is a cross-sectional study, conducted among type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients, at the outpatient clinic. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), known hematological disorders, and chronic inflammatory disorders were excluded. Results:Of the 97 patients, 37 (38.14%) were found to be anemic (hemoglobin (Hb): male <13 g/dl, female <12 g/dl). The mean values of fasting blood sugar (FBS) in low and normal mean corpuscular volume (MCV) patients were 265.9 +/- 43.7 mg/dl and 157.2 +/- 7.2 mg/dl, respectively (P = 0.0026), and those of postprandial blood sugar (PPBS) were 370.3 +/- 58.4 mg/dl and 226.3 +/- 10.1 mg/dl, respectively (P = 0.0015). It was found that 6 (22.2%) of 27 patients with raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT) had anemia against 27 (45.8%) of 59 patients with normal ALT (P = 0.03). The mean Hb levels in patients with raised and normal ALT were 13.31 +/- 2.3 gm% and 12.2 +/- 2.0 gm% (P = 0.03), respectively. Conclusions:Blood sugar may have a direct relationship with MCV in T2DM patients. Hb tends to relate to hepatic enzymes likely due to altered dietary patterns in anemics. Further larger studies on the effect of iron supplementation and dietary habits on glycemic control and hepatic steatosis are warranted.