Association Between the Presence of Iron Deficiency Anemia and Hemoglobin A1c in Korean Adults. Issue 20 (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hong, Jae W.; Ku, Cheol R.; Noh, Jung H.; Ko, Kyung S.; Rhee, Byoung D.; Kim, Dong-Jun; Gopichandran., Vijayaprasad
• Is Part Of: Medicine. Volume 94:Issue 20(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Périodiques; Geneeskunde; Medicine; Periodicals; Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000000825
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-7974

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Few studies have investigated the clinical effect of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) on the use of the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) as a screening parameter for diabetes or prediabetes. We investigated the association between IDA and HbA1c levels in Korean adults.</p> <p>Among the 11, 472 adults (≥19 years of age) who participated in the 2011–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (a cross-sectional and nationally representative survey conducted by the Korean Center for Disease Control for Health Statistics), 807 patients with diabetes currently taking anti-diabetes medications were excluded from this study. We compared the weighted HbA1c levels and weighted proportion (%) of HbA1c levels of ≥5.7%, ≥6.1%, and ≥6.5% according to the range of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and the presence of IDA.</p> <p>Among 10, 665 participants (weighted n = 35, 229, 108), the prevalence of anemia and IDA was 7.3% and 4.3%, respectively. The HbA1c levels were higher in participants with IDA (5.70% ± 0.02%) than in normal participants (5.59% ± 0.01%; <italic>P</italic> < 0.001), whereas there was no significant difference in FPG levels. In participants with an FPG level of <100 mg/dL and 100 to 125 mg/dL, the weighted HbA1c level was higher in those with IDA (5.59% ± 0.02% and 6.00% ± 0.05%) than in normal participants (5.44% ± 0.01% and 5.82% ± 0.01%) after adjusting for confounders such as age, sex, FPG level, heavy alcohol drinking, waist circumference, and smoking status as well as after exclusion of an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup> (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001, <0.01). The weighted proportions (%) of an HbA1c level of ≥5.7% and ≥6.1% were also higher in participants with IDA than in normal participants (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001, <0.05). However, the weighted HbA1c levels in individuals with an FPG level ≥126 mg/dL and a weighted proportion (%) of an HbA1c level of ≥6.5% showed no significant differences according to the presence of IDA.</p> <p>In conclusion, the presence of IDA shifted the HbA1c level upward only in the normoglycemic and prediabetic ranges, not in the diabetic range. Therefore, IDA should be considered before using HbA1c as a screening test for prediabetes.</p> </sec> </abstract>