Co Incidence of Microcytic Anemia with other Chronic Diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension and Ischemic Heart Disease in Patients at PAF Hospital Islamabad

Background: Microcytic anemia is a frequent hematological disorder that frequently accompanies chronic non-communicable diseases and may exacerbate morbidity and affect the progression of these diseases. Although clinically important, little local information is available regarding the prevalence of microcytic anemia in diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease patients. Objective: To determine the frequency and association of microcytic anemia with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease in adult patients. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Duration and Place of Study: The study was conducted from August 2024 to January 2025 at the Department of Medicine, PAF Hospital, Islamabad. Methodology: A total of 252 adult patients with confirmed diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or ischemic heart disease were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included other known causes of anemia, recent transfusion, hematological malignancies, and advanced liver disease. Data collection involved demographic details, medical history, clinical records, and laboratory investigations. Microcytic anemia was defined according to World Health Organization criteria using mean corpuscular volume and hemoglobin levels. Results: The mean age of participants was 55.67 ± 10.97 years, with 135 males (53.6%) and 117 females (46.4%). Overall, 110 patients (43.7%) had microcytic anemia. Among diabetics, anemia was present in 63 (44.1%) versus 47 (43.1%) in non-diabetics (p=0.882). In hypertensive patients, anemia was significantly more frequent (75, 52.1%) compared to non-hypertensives (35, 32.4%) (p=0.002). In ischemic heart disease, anemia was found in 33 (50.8%) compared to 77 (41.2%) without the disease (p=0.179). Correlation analysis showed hypertension duration had significant negative correlations with hemoglobin (r=-0.137, p<0.05) and mean corpuscular volume (r=-0.223, p<0.01). Conclusion: Microcytic anemia is common among patients with chronic diseases, with hypertension showing a significant association.