Low prevalence of anemia in inflammatory bowel disease: A population-based study in Sweden

Objective. Anemia is a well-known complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a reported prevalence of 8.8-73.7%. However, knowledge is sparse about the anemia prevalence in a population-based cohort of patients affected by IBD. Materials and methods. The aim of this retrospective, descriptive, population-based study was to determine and analyze the prevalence of anemia for ambulatory (n = 485) as well as for hospitalized patients diagnosed with IBD in 2008 in the Highland Health Care District, Jonkopings County, Sweden. Results. The prevalence of anemia at the annual follow-up in the studied IBD population was 6%, 5% for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 9% for those with Crohn's disease (CD). There was a higher rate of anemia at the yearly check up in patients requiring inpatient care during the year. IBD patients, prescribed anti-TNF-alpha treatment, had a higher rate of anemia. Of the hospitalized UC and CD patients (n = 31), 35% and 50%, respectively, had anemia at admission and 6% and 4% had severe anemia (Hb <100 g/L), respectively. Conclusions. The prevalence of anemia in this population was lower than reported previously, probably due to inclusion of all IBD patients in the area in combination with a proactive follow-up model. The prevalence of anemia in this IBD population was similar to the prevalence in the general population. This may indicate that efforts by health care professionals to prevent, identify, and treat anemia in the IBD population have been successful.