Probability of anemia in pre-diabetics and diabetics: analytical study carried out in a medical center in Villa el Salvador, Lima-Peru

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization estimates that 2 billion people suffer from anemia, while pre-diabetes and diabetes affect approximately 352 and 460 million people, respectively. Anemia is a frequent complication in diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To evaluate the association and probability of hemoglobin alterations in pre-diabetics and diabetics.

Methodology: Descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study, the population was 1103 patients (211 prediabetics, 223 diabetics and 669 normoglycemics), the sample was the total population that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria: normoglycemic and prediabetic adults without presence of acute or chronic disease at the time of examination. The association between variables was performed using the chi-square test and the probability was determined by the Odds Ratio test.

Results: Pre-diabetic women had a 1.72 higher probability of anemia than non-diabetic women. Pre-diabetic men were 2.80 times more likely to have anemia than non-diabetics. Diabetic women were 2.37 times more likely to have anemia, while diabetic men were 4.41 times more likely than non-diabetic men to have anemia.

Conclusions: Pre-diabetic patients are more likely to have anemia than non-diabetics. It is possible that persistent hyperglycemia in pre-diabetics is associated with changes in the concentration of this hemoprotein years before the development of diabetes by similar mechanisms, but in an incipient manner.