THE ESSENTIAL
- Of 330 people affected by rheumatoid arthritis, 180 suffered from anemia.
- Strong links have been found between this lack of hemoglobin or red blood cells and longer disease duration, higher disease severity, and increased inflammatory markers.
- “These data highlight the crucial importance of systematic screening and management of anemia” in patients, according to the researchers.
It is a common hematological disorder. Anemia is defined by an abnormally low level of hemoglobin, a substance present in red blood cells, measured in a blood sample taken by blood test. This reduces the blood’s ability to supply and transport oxygen to all organs in the body. “Many chronic illnesses coexist with this disorder, with rheumatoid arthritis being the most prominent,” according to scientists from the Khyber University Hospital in Peshawar (Pakistan).
More than half of people with rheumatoid arthritis have anemia
As part of a recent study, they wanted to determine the prevalence of anemia in people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and explore the link between anemia and various clinical parameters of this chronic inflammatory disease which affects the joints. For this, the team recruited 330 patients, aged over 18, affected by rheumatoid arthritis, who presented to three different health establishments in Pakistan between January and December 2023. “Medical records and interviews were used to collect information on demographics, hemoglobin levels, inflammatory markers and severity of pathology,” can we read in the work published in the journal Cureus.
According to the results, anemia was present in 180 patients (54.55%). The average hemoglobin level in these patients was 11.41 g/dL and the average red blood cell count was 4.26 million/µL. The disease activity score was higher in anemic patients (mean 5.23 versus 4.98 in those without anemia). The authors noted elevated levels of C-reactive protein in 150 of the anemic patients and 160 had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates, a marker of inflammation. Another finding: significant associations between anemia and longer disease duration, higher severity of rheumatoid arthritis and increased inflammatory markers.
Rheumatoid arthritis: detecting and managing anemia to improve patient health outcomes
“These data highlight the critical importance of routine screening and management of anemia in adults with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those with severe or prolonged disease, as treatment of anemia could improve overall patient outcomes and quality of life. Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanisms linking this chronic inflammatory disease and anemia, conducting longitudinal studies to better understand these associations over time and l. evaluation of the effectiveness of anemia treatments to improve the health of patients”, the researchers concluded.
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