Prevalence of anemia in primary care patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease in Oman

BACKGROUND: Previous research has highlighted potential associations between anemia, diabetes, and worsening kidney disease. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the prevalence of anemia in patients with both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at a primary care center in Oman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Primary Care Clinic of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. All patients with established diagnoses of CKD and T2DM who attended appointments at the clinic in 2020 and 2021 were included. Data concerning the patients' sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, clinical findings, and laboratory results during past six months were retrieved from the hospital's information system. Patients were contacted via telephone for clarification in the event of any missing data. SPSS version 23 was used for Statistical analyses of the data. Frequencies and percentages were used to present categorical variables. Chi-squared tests were used to determine association between anemia and demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients with T2DM and CKD were included in the study; 52% were male, 54.3% were 51-65 years of age, and majority (88%) were either overweight or obese. The majority of patients (62.7%) had Stage 1 CKD followed by Stage 2 (34.3%) and Stage 3 (3%). The total prevalence of anemia was 29.3%, with 31.4%, 24.3%, and 44.4% of Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 CKD patients being anemic, respectively. The frequency of anemia was significantly higher in female than male patients (41.7% vs. 17.9%; P < 0.001). No associations were observed between anemia status and other sociodemographic or clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anemia in CKD and T2DM primary care patients in Oman was 29.3%, with gender as the only factor significantly associated with anemia status. Routine screening of anemia in diabetic nephropathy patients is highly recommended.