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Anaemia
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my personal edition > anaemia > news
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DGReview
Anaemia in Diabetics Often Unrecognised, Undetected, and Untreated
A DGReview of :"Anaemia in patients with diabetes: unrecognised, undetected and untreated?"
Current Medical Research and Opinion
10/16/2003
By Mary Beth Nierengarten
Anaemia significantly affects the quality of life in people with diabetes, but it often goes unrecognised and undetected and, therefore, untreated in many patients, reports a pan-European study.
Although anaemia is a key indicator of renal disease, a significant complication caused by diabetes, most diabetics are not tested for anaemia and remain unaware of an association between anaemia and kidney disease.
To determine the level of understanding and awareness of anaemia and its connection with diabetes, as well as to gauge the impact of anaemia on quality of life, Paul E. Stevens, MD, Kent & Canterbury Hospital, United Kingdom, and colleagues interviewed 1054 diabetic patients from Belgium, Greece, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Along with demographic information, the questions focused on awareness of anaemia, experience of tiredness and lethargy, effect of tiredness and lethargy on quality of life, and awareness of complications linked to diabetes.
Of the respondents, 83% had heard about anaemia, but only 32% had received information related to it, and only 14% attributed anaemia to diabetes. Overall, 132 of the 1054 (12%) patients were known to be anaemic, but a fifth of these patients received no treatment, whereas 12 were receiving blood transfusions, 5 erythropoietin therapy, 5 iron injections, and 92 iron tablets.
Of 756 respondents who experienced tiredness or lethargy, reduced quality of life was evident by reports of being down or depressed (21%), very down or depressed (17%), or feeling frustrated (17%).
Overall, patients responding to the questionnaire were unaware of the association between anaemia and complications of diabetes. However, a large number reported a huge effect that the symptoms of anaemia had on their quality of life.
From this, the authors conclude that raising awareness of anaemia among diabetic patients and their physicians is of paramount importance to help improve the quality of life of these patients by providing easy treatment of anaemia.
Current Medical Research and Opinions 2003;19:5:395-401.
"Anaemia in patients with diabetes: unrecognised, undetected and untreated?"
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