Nonanemic Patients Research Articles

Association between use of low-dose aspirin on hemoglobin levels and serum iron homeostasis in patients with acute coronary syndrome or ischemic stroke

Background: Association between low-dose aspirin (LDA) and possible covert effects on hemoglobin (without overt bleeding) has been inconsistent. The current study was planned to assess the effects of LDA on hemoglobin level and serum iron status over a period of 6 months in nonanemic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or ischemic stroke. Methods: This was a hospital-based open cohort prospective study conducted on newly diagnosed patients with ACS or ischemic stroke discharged on secondary prophylaxis of LDA (<162 mg/day) The study period was 6 months of patient recruitment and 6 months of follow-up. Results: Out of originally recruited 81 patients, 52 were followed up for the entire 6 months. The mean age was 61.8 ± 8 years. In 43 (82.6%) patients, the hemoglobin level had a fall at 6 months from the baseline level. Male patients had a significant fall in hemoglobin levels while as females had an insignificant change. Anemia was detected in 20 (38%) cases at the end of 6 months. The incidence of anemia was 0.38 cases/180 days. A fall in serum ferritin was observed in 30 patients and a rise was observed in 22 patients. At the end of 6 months, serum ferritin fell to <20 μg/L in five patients, out of which two patients had serum ferritin <15 μg/L. Conclusion: The study provided insight about the effect of LDA on the hemoglobin level and serum iron profile among the patients who were started on LDA for the secondary prophylaxis.

Analysis of oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial function following intravenous iron in chronic kidney disease in the Iron and Heart Trial

Iron deficiency commonly affects patients with chronic kidney disease and has an important burden in disease trajectory and quality of life; nonetheless current guidelines do not advocate treatment of iron-deficiency without anemia in this patient group. Concerns exist regarding the potential effects of intravenous iron on oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial function. As part of a multicenter double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, we examined the effects of a single dose of intravenous iron vs. placebo on biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial function in non-anemic iron deficient patients (serum ferritin < 100 μg/L and/or transferrin saturation < 20%) with chronic kidney disease (stage 3b-5). Fifty-four individuals were randomized to receive ferric derisomaltose (n = 26) or placebo (n = 28). Ferric derisomaltose was associated with a non-significant decrease in mean F2-isoprostane and no effect on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances when compared to placebo throughout follow up. No effect on inflammatory markers was observed. A modest but statistically significant rise in E-selectin was noted in the intravenous iron group at 1 month and 3 month follow-up (p = 0.030 and p = 0.002 respectively). These results suggest ferric derisomaltose administration in non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease patients who are iron deficient does not induce prolonged oxidative stress or inflammation. Larger trials are required to quantify the benefit of intravenous iron administration in this patient group.

Anemia And Other Independent Predictors Of 30-day Readmissions In Heart Failure Patients: A Retrospective Study

<h3>Objectives</h3> To determine if there is an association between anemia and 30-day readmissions in patients with heart failure, and to identify other risk factors for 30-day readmissions in this group. <h3>Background</h3> : Anemia commonly occurs in patients with chronic heart failure, with a prevalence of up to 79%. It can be explained by the presence of comorbidities, chronic kidney disease, and differences in heart failure treatment. Anemia is likely associated with worse clinical outcomes in those patients because of a mismatch in oxygen supply and demand, increased resistance to erythropoietin, higher rates of left ventricular hypertrophy and fluid overload, and chronic inflammation. Findings associated with anemia in heart failure patients include symptoms, echocardiogram measurements, renal function, mortality, hospitalization rates and lengths of hospital stays. Few studies, however, have assessed the association of anemia with 30-day readmission rates in these patients. <h3>Methods</h3> : We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with heart failure admitted to Ascension St John Hospital in Michigan from 1/1/2018 to 12/31/2019. Data were collected on demographics, comorbidities, laboratory testing during the index hospitalization, echocardiogram findings, and 30-day readmissions. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin less than 13 g/dL in males and hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL in females. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, the χ2 test and logistic regression. <h3>Results</h3> : We reviewed 1250 patients with heart failure, 58.2% male, 52.6% non-white, mean age 68.2 ± 15.3 years. Of those patients, 24.2% (303/1250) were readmitted within 30 days; 55.5% of those readmissions were a result of cardiovascular disease. Anemia was noted in 62.2% of the patients (778/1250). From univariable analysis, the following factors were found to be associated with 30-day readmissions in heart failure patients: anemia (p = 0.008), female sex (p = 0.03), pulmonary edema (p = 0.013), hyponatremia (p = 0.005), atrial fibrillation or flutter (p = 0.04), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.042), antiarrhythmic medications (p < 0.0001), and Charlson Weighted Index of Comorbidity (CWIC) score (p < 0.0001). From multivariable analysis, heart failure patients who were readmitted within 30 days were more likely to be anemic (OR = 1.4, p = 0.029), hyponatremic (OR = 1.5, p = 0.007), have pulmonary edema on chest imaging during the index hospitalization (OR = 1.4, p = 0.033), prescribed antiarrhythmic medications (OR = 1.8, p = 0.002), and have higher CWIC scores (OR = 1.1, p = 0.001). <h3>Conclusions</h3> : In patients with heart failure, after controlling for other risk factors, anemic patients were 40% more likely to be readmitted within 30-days compared to non-anemic patients. Other independent predictors of 30-day readmissions included hyponatremia, pulmonary edema, antiarrhythmic medications, and CWIC score.

Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at family health center

Anemia is the most prevalent cause of hematological problem that occurs more frequently during pregnancy. According to World Health Organization data, up to 56% of all women in underdeveloped nations are anemic. Anemia is readily defined by measuring hemoglobin concentrations and evaluating a peripheral blood smear for distinctive red blood cell abnormalities. Iron supplementation is recommended throughout pregnancy to avoid problems. This was a study done in Shebin Elkom Health Center from April 2021 to January 2022. The study was conducted on 300 pregnant women at obstetrics and gynecology department. The study consisted of two phases: the first phase was a cross‑sectional study and the second phase was an interventional prospective study. There was significant difference between anemic and non-anemic patients regarding all CBC results except RBCs count. Most women were normal (68%), mild, moderate and severe anemia were found in 30m 1.33 and 0.67 percent of participants. There was a significant correlation between anemia and second trimester of pregnancy, previous diagnosis with anemia, piles, PCV, MCHC and long menstruation.

The association of anemia with the clinical outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia in children.

Anemia is associated with severe outcomes in adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), but few studies investigated its association with pediatric CAP. Hence, we tried to delineate the association of anemia with the clinical outcomes of CAP in children. This retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2010 to 2019 in a medical center. Inpatients aged 6 months to 17 years who were diagnosed with CAP and without major underlying diseases were included. The subjects' clinical data within 24 h of admission and clinical outcomes were collected. We accessed the rates of adverse outcomes and the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of these outcomes between anemic and nonanemic patients, as well as among patients with different types of anemia. In this study of 3601 patients, the prevalence of anemia was 11.6% (418/3601). Anemic patients had higher rates of intensive care (16.8% vs. 3.6%; p < 0.001), endotracheal intubation (11.0% vs. 1.3%; p < 0.001), and empyema (8.6% vs. 0.6%; p < 0.001) than nonanemic patients. In addition, anemia was independently associated with intensive care (adjusted OR, 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.03-4.42), endotracheal intubation (adjusted OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 2.17-6.63), and empyema (adjusted OR, 4.72; 95% CI, 2.30-9.69). Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and normocytic anemia were associated with these adverse outcomes but not with anemia due to thalassemia trait. Anemia is a biomarker associated with poor outcomes in pediatric CAP, and patients with IDA or normocytic anemia should be carefully monitored and managed since they may have higher disease severity.

Anaemia Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Fractures, a Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis

Background: Anaemia and osteoporotic fractures are both major health problems among older adults worldwide. Objectives: Previous studies suggest that anaemia may be associated with elevated fracture risk among older adults; however, the exact relationship between them is unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between anaemia and fracture risk. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in four medical databases. We included articles that were published from inception to February 18, 2021. Odds ratios (ORs), hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and original raw incidences from studies comparing fracture rates in anaemic versus non-anaemic patients were extracted and pooled with the random-effects model. I2 test was used to assess heterogeneity. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Quality of Prognostic Studies tool. PROSPERO: CRD42021241109. Results: A total of 13 studies were identified; 8 of them were included in the quantitative synthesis. Anaemia was found to be a risk factor for fracture compared to non-anaemia. Anaemia increased hip fracture risk in both older men (HR = 1.71; CI: 1.46–2.00, p< 0.001, I2 = 83.2%) and women (HR = 1.31; CI: 1.13–1.52, p< 0.001), but the fracture risk was more increased among men. There was also an increased chance of hip fracture in the presence of anaemia in populations, including both older men and women (OR = 1.64; CI: 1.35–2.01, p< 0.001, I2 = 61.1%). Anaemia was also associated with increased vertebral (HR = 1.21; CI: 1.04–1.40, p = 0.012) and all-type (HR = 1.49; CI: 1.19–1.86, p< 0.001) fracture risk in older men. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is a significant relationship between anaemia and fracture risk in older adults. This association is stronger among older men than women and differs in the different types of fractures.

The Key Role of Hepcidin-25 in Anemia in Multiple Myeloma Patients with Renal Impairment.

Background and objectives: Anemia is common in multiple myeloma (MM) and is caused by a complex pathomechanism, including impaired iron homeostasis. Our aim is to evaluate the biomarkers of iron turnover: serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and hepcidin-25 in patients at various stages of MM in relation with markers of anemia, iron status, inflammation, renal impairment and burden of the disease and as predictors of mortality. Materials and methods: Seventy-three MM patients (six with smoldering and 67 with symptomatic disease) were recruited and observed for up to 27 months. Control group included 21 healthy individuals. Serum sTfR and hepcidin were measured with immunoenzymatic assays. Results: MM patients with and without anemia had higher sTFR compared to controls, while only anemic patients had higher hepcidin-25. Both hepcidin-25 and sTfR were higher in anemic than non-anemic patients. Higher hepcidin-25 (but not sTfR) was associated with increasing MM advancement (from smoldering to International Staging System stage III disease) and with poor response to MM treatment, which was accompanied by lower blood hemoglobin and increased anisocytosis. Neither serum hepcidin-25 nor sTfR were correlated with markers of renal impairment. Hepcidin-25 predicted blood hemoglobin in MM patients independently of other predictors, including markers of renal impairment, inflammation and MM burden. Moreover, both blood hemoglobin and serum hepcidin-25 were independently associated with patients’ 2-year survival. Conclusions: Our results suggest that hepcidin-25 is involved in anemia in MM and its concentrations are not affected by kidney impairment. Moreover, serum hepcidin-25 may be an early predictor of survival in this disease, independent of hemoglobin concentration. It should be further evaluated whether including hepcidin improves the early diagnosis of anemia in MM.

Iron Deficiency in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment.

ResumoA deficiência de ferro (DF) ou ferropenia é uma importante comorbidade na insuficiência cardíaca com fração de ejeção reduzida (ICFER) estável, e muito prevalente tanto nos anêmicos como não anêmicos. A ferropenia na ICFER deve ser pesquisada por meio da coleta de saturação de transferrina e ferritina. Há dois tipos de ferropenia na IC: absoluta, em que as reservas de ferro estão depletadas; e funcional, onde o suprimento de ferro é inadequado apesar das reservas normais. A ferropenia está associada com pior classe funcional e maior risco de morte em pacientes com ICFER, e evidências científicas apontam melhora de sintomas e de qualidade de vida desses pacientes com tratamento com ferro parenteral na forma de carboximaltose férrica. O ferro exerce funções imprescindíveis como o transporte (hemoglobina) e armazenamento (mioglobina) de oxigênio, além de ser fundamental para o funcionamento das mitocôndrias, constituídas de proteínas à base de ferro, e local de geração de energia na cadeia respiratória pelo metabolismo oxidativo. A geração insuficiente e utilização anormal de ferro nas células musculares esquelética e cardíaca contribuem para a fisiopatologia da IC. A presente revisão tem o objetivo de aprofundar o conhecimento a respeito da fisiopatologia da ferropenia na ICFER, abordar as ferramentas disponíveis para o diagnóstico e discutir sobre a evidência científica existente de reposição de ferro.

The adverse impact of pre-operative anaemia on survival following major lower limb amputation.

Approximately 5000 major lower-limb amputations (MLLA) for PAD occur per-annum in the UK with clinical outcomes being poor for this high-risk cohort of patients. Existing evidence suggests that anaemic surgical patients have an increased 30-day mortality, but this has not been explored in the context of MLLA. Recent prioritization processes suggested that MLLAs are a target area for research into outcome improvement. This cohort study evaluates the impact of anaemia on the outcome of MLLA to understand if optimization might improve outcomes. All PAD patients undergoing MLLA during 2015-2018 at a tertiary vascular centre were reviewed. Patients were stratified into groups; non-anaemia (>12g/dL), mild-anaemia (12-10g/dL) and severe-anaemia (<10g/dL) by pre-operative haemoglobin (Hb). Primary outcome was overall survival by Kaplan-Meier. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS), post-operative blood-transfusion, surgical-site infection (SSI) and myocardial infarction (MI). Cox-proportional-hazard and receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) analyses were conducted. 345 patients were followed up over (mean) 23months. 105 were non-anaemic, 111 mildly anaemic and 129 severely anaemic. Patients with severe-anaemia had a higher incidence of heart and renal failure (p = 0.003) than those with non- or mild-anaemia. Overall survival worsened significantly with increasing anaemia (p = 0.001). LOS was significantly longer in mild-anaemia which is 26 (16-43) days, (p = 0.006) and severe-anaemia of 28 days (17-40), (p < 0.001) compared to non-anaemia of 18 (10-30) days. Post-operative blood-transfusion (RBC) was required more frequently in 70.5% of severely anaemic patients (p < 0.001), compared to mildly anaemic (24.3%) and non-anaemic (7.6%) patients, with those receiving RBCs having a significantly worse survival. There was no difference in MI, SSI or wound dehiscence. Anaemia was significantly associated with mortality; (HR 1.7 (1.04-2.78), p = 0.03). A minimum-Hb of 10.4g/L (by ROC) was identified as a cutoff Hb for an increased risk of mortality. Pre-operative anaemia is associated with worse outcome following MLLA, with increasing severity of anaemia associated with increasing mortality and RBC transfusion being potentially detrimental. More work is required to prospectively evaluate this relationship in this complex and multi-morbid cohort of patients.

The prevalence and impact of anemia in hospitalized older adults: A single center experience from Bahrain

ObjectivesThis study reports the prevalence of anemia and investigates its associated correlates and outcomes among elderly hospitalized patients in a single hospital in Bahrain. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on 227 consecutive elderly patients admitted under general internal medicine in the biggest tertiary hospital in Bahrain. Medical records were reviewed for all patients, including clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and outcomes. ResultsAnemia was highly prevalent among hospitalized elderly patients (71.6%). Males were significantly more affected than females (p = 0.031). In terms of severity, the most common type was moderate anemia (56.1%); with regards to etiology, the most common type was anemia associated with chronic disease (48.1%). Anemia was as common as other comorbidities, including hypertension (71.4%) and diabetes mellitus (53.7%). When comparing anemic to non-anemic patients, the length of hospital stay was significantly longer (p < 0.001) and inversely correlated to the level of hemoglobin; furthermore, 1-year mortality was significantly higher (p < 0.001). When compared to those with mild anemia, patients with moderate/severe anemia were more likely to die (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27–4.92). ConclusionThe prevalence of anemia in our study was higher than previously reported. Even so, anemia receives minimal attention and is usually seen as a minor problem. Our results reiterate the need to recognize the high importance of anemia especially when diagnosing and treating older patients. This, in turn, could positively affect a number of outcomes such as mortality, length of stay, and the functional decline of admitted individuals.

Perioperative Risk Factors for Prolonged Blood Loss and Drainage Fluid Secretion after Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Surgical breast reconstruction is an integral part of cancer treatment but must not compromise oncological safety. Patient-dependent risk factors (smoking, BMI, etc.) are said to influence perioperative outcomes and have often been investigated. Here, we analyzed independent perioperative risk factors for increased postoperative blood loss or drainage fluid volume loss and their possible impact. Methods: Patients undergoing breast reconstructions after breast cancer with either tissue expanders, definitive breast implants, or autologous breast reconstruction were analyzed. The collected data on patients’ characteristics, blood, and drainage fluid loss were correlated and statistically investigated. Results: Traditional patient-dependent risk factors did not influence blood loss or drainage volumes. On the contrary, patients with preoperative anemia had significantly higher drainage outputs compared to non-anemic patients (U = 2448.5; p = 0.0012). The administration of low molecular weight heparin showed a tendency of increased drainage output. Similar correlations could be seen in prolonged procedure time, all of which contributed to prolonged hospital stay (τb = 0.371; p < 0.00001). Conclusions: Preoperative anemia is one of the most critical factors influencing postoperative drainage fluid output. Previously assumed patient-dependent risk factors did not affect drainage output. Preoperative anemia must be monitored, and if possible, treated preoperatively to reduce postoperative morbidity.

The Association of Underlying Diseases and Age-Related Cataracts in Iranian Patients

Background: Age-Related Cataracts (ARC) is a multifactorial ocular dysfunction resulting inblurred lens, visual reduction, and blindness. Various underlying diseases are involved in increasing the risk of ARC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of underlying diseases and related medications with ARC in Iranian patients. Methods: In this case-control study, 353 patients (age between 40 to 70 years) with ARC were referred to Rouhani Hospital, Babol, Iran, and 343 control individuals (age between 40 to 70 years) participated. The history of underlying diseases of participants was collected by history-taking and self-expression. The cataract intensity and type determination was based on the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS Ш). Results: Our results show that obesity (p &lt;0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 0.422, 95% CI [0.285, 0.625], p&lt;0.001) ,and hypertension (OR = 0.518, 95% CI [0.378, 0.712], p&lt;0.001) are associated with prevalence of ARC (more prevalent in ARC patients compared to controls). The posterior subcapsular ARC is more prevalent in asthmatic ARC patients compared to non-asthmatic ARC patients (p=0.019). The prevalence of cortical ARC is higher in anemic ARC patients compared to non-anemic ARC patients (p=0.031). Cortical and posterior subcapsular ARC prevalence is higher in rheumatic ARC patients than non-rheumatic ARC patients (p=0.006). Also, atorvastatin use plays a preventive role in ARC (p=0.031). Conclusion: Our results established that obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and asthma are associated with the prevalence of ARC. Also, atorvastatin, as a routine medication, plays a preventive role in ARC. Furthermore, asthma, anemia, and rheumatism are involved in prevalence of certain types of ARC.

New-onset anemia and associated risk of ESKD and death in non-dialysis CKD patients: a multicohort observational study.

ABSTRACTBackgroundAnemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its incidence in nephrology settings is poorly investigated. Similarly, the risks of adverse outcomes associated with new-onset anemia are not known.MethodsWe performed a pooled analysis of three observational cohort studies including 1031 non-anemic CKD patients with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 regularly followed in renal clinics. We estimated the incidence of mild anemia (hemoglobin 11–12 g/dL in women and 11–13 g/dL in men) and severe anemia (hemoglobin <11 g/dL or use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents) during a 3-year follow-up period. Thereafter we estimated the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and all-cause death associated with new-onset mild and severe anemia.ResultsThe mean age was 63 ± 14 years, 60% were men and 20% had diabetes. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 37 ± 13 mL/min/1.73 m2 and the median proteinuria was 0.4 g/day [interquartile range (IQR) 0.1–1.1]. The incidence of mild and severe anemia was 13.7/100 patients-year and 6.2/100 patients-year, respectively. Basal predictors of either mild or severe anemia were diabetes, lower hemoglobin, higher serum phosphate, eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and proteinuria >0.50 g/day. Male sex, moderate CKD (eGFR 30–44 mL/min/1.73 m2) and moderate proteinuria (0.15–0.50 g/day) predicted only mild anemia. The incidence of anemia increased progressively with CKD stages (from 8.77 to 76.59/100 patients-year) and the proteinuria category (from 13.99 to 25.02/100 patients-year). During a median follow-up of 3.1 years, 232 patients reached ESKD and 135 died. Compared with non-anemic patients, mild anemia was associated with a higher adjusted risk of ESKD {hazard ratio [HR] 1.42 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.98]} and all-cause death [HR 1.55 (95% CI 1.04–2.32)]. Severe anemia was associated with an even higher risk of ESKD [HR 1.73 (95% CI 1.20–2.51)] and death [HR 1.83 (95% CI 1.05–3.19)].ConclusionsNew-onset anemia is frequent, particularly in patients with more severe renal damage and in those with diabetes mellitus. The occurrence of anemia, even of a mild degree, is associated with mortality risk and faster progression towards ESKD.

Influence of severe anemia on procedural safety and one-year outcome after left atrial appendage closure: Insights from a very high-risk cohort.

IntroductionPatients undergoing left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) are often severly anemic and close to the transfusion threshold. The aim was to investigate the prevalence of severe anemia in this cohort and if procedural safety is compromised compared with non-anemic patients.Methods and resultsComparison of severly anemic patients (Hb < 80 g/l) vs. non-severly anemic patients in the prospective, multicentre observational LAARGE registry of patients undergoing LAAC. A total of 638 patients (anemia 22.3% vs non-anemic 77.7%) were included. Anemic patients were older (77.1 years ± 7.9 vs 75.6 years ± 7.9, p = 0.014), had more comorbidities, higher CHA2DS2-VASc (4.8 vs 4.4, p = 0.017) and higher HAS-BLED (4.3 vs 3.8, p < 0.001) scores. Implant success was not influenced by anemia (99.3% vs 97.2%). Severe in-hospital (0.7% vs 5.6%, p = 0.01) and overall complications (8.5% vs 13.7%, p = 0.11) were less common in patients with anemia, driven by fewer pericardial effusions. Mortality was higher in anemic patients and associated with an increased hazard ratio, albeit not significantly (16.0% vs 10.3%, HR 1.61 (95%-CI: 0.97–2.67), p = 0.06). In the one-year follow-up, composite outcome of death, stroke or systemic embolism occurred in 22/142 anemic and in 54/496 non-anemic patients with an adjusted HR of 1.04 (95%-CI 0.62–1.73, p = 0.89).ConclusionSevere anemia close to the transfusion threshold is common in patients undergoing LAAC. However, this does not influence in-hospital complications or implant success. One-year mortality is higher in anemic patients, mainly driven by co-morbidities.

The Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Anemia in Gastric Cancer Patients.

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of preoperative anemia in gastric cancer patients. The medical records of 801 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy at the Nara Medical University hospital, were reviewed. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin (Hb) level of <10 g/dl. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors. The mean Hb level was 13.1 (SD=2.0). Sixty-four (8.0%) patients were classified into the anemic group. Anemic patients were significantly older than nonanemic patients (p=0.007). Anemia was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease (p=0.041), chronic renal failure (p<0.001), tumor depth (p<0.001), and lymph node metastasis (p=0.001). The overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) rates of anemic patients were significantly lower in comparison to the nonanemic patients (p<0.001). In a subgroup analysis, the OS rate of anemic patients was significantly lower than that of nonanemic patients among patients with stage I and stage II disease. According to a multivariate analysis, preoperative anemia was an independent prognostic factor for OS (p<0.001), but not CSS (p=0.555). The rate of non-cancer deaths among anemic patients was significantly higher than that among nonanemic patients (p<0.001). Preoperative anemia is a simple and reliable predictor of poor prognosis, and it is associated with a higher risk of non-cancer death.

The Association between Pretreatment anemia and Overall Survival in Advanced Non-small Cell lung Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Propensity Score Matching.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pretreatment anemia was an independent risk factor for survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after adjusting for other covariates.Methods: We used propensity score matching (PSM) to minimize the influence of confounding factors and used χ2 (categorical variables), Student's t-test (normal distribution), or Mann-Whitney U test (skewed distribution) to analyze the differences among the Hb groups. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to assess the association between anemia and survival. P values < 0.05 (two-sided) were considered statistically significant.Results: The average age of the 758 selected participants was 58.2±11 years, and 210 patients (27.7%) had anemia. In the multivariate analysis, anemia was associated with a poor prognosis in the unmatched cohort (Hazards ratio (HR)=1.3, 95% (confidence interval (CI): 1.1-1.6; p= 0.008), and the matched cohort (HR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.3-2.3; p <0.001), emerging as an independent risk and prognostic factor in advanced NSCLC patients. In the Kaplan-Meier curve, the average survival time of anemic and non-anemic patients was 9.3 months (95% CI: 7.9-11.4 months) vs. 14.1 months (95% CI: 12-16.3 months) (p=0.0073) in the unmatched cohort. After propensity score matching, the average survival time of anemic and non-anemic patients was 10.9 months (95% CI: 8.8-12.9. months) vs. 17.8 months (95% CI: 16.0-23.3 months) (p <0.001).Conclusion: Pretreatment anemia was an independent risk and prognostic factor for survival in patients with advanced NSCLC. Large-scale studies are required to confirm our findings.

Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Prolonged Dual Antiplatelet Therapy according to Baseline Anemia after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the outcomes of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) depending on baseline anemia after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Materials and MethodsAmong the 1470 study participants, 448 (30.5%) were classified as having baseline anemia. We categorized the study population according to baseline anemia and DAPT duration: ≤12-month (m) DAPT (n=226) vs. >12-m DAPT (n=222) in anemic patients, and ≤12-m DAPT (n=521) vs. >12-m DAPT (n=501) in non-anemic patients.ResultsDuring a follow-up of 80.8 (interquartile range 60.6–97.1) months, anemic patients showed a higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) (26.9% vs. 17.1%, p<0.001) and major bleeding (9.8% vs. 5.1%, p=0.006). Among the non-anemic patients, prolonged DAPT was associated with a reduced rate of MACCEs [inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63–0.96; p=0.019] without an increase in major bleeding (IPTW adjusted HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.75–1.68; p=0.574). However, prolonged DAPT was not related to the incidence of MACCEs (IPTW adjusted HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.88–1.39; p=0.387), with increased major bleeding (IPTW adjusted HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.32–3.06; p=0.001) among anemic patients.ConclusionAlthough extended DAPT led to a reduction in MACCEs in non-anemic patients, it was related to increased major bleeding without reducing MACCEs in anemic patients.

Optimization of Preoperative Anemia in Lower Limb Joint Replacement Surgery

Orthopaedic procedures such as total hip and total knee replacements carry a significant risk of postoperative anemia, necessitating allogenic blood transfusions (ABTs), and an increased hospital length of stay. Our aim was to investigate whether the implementation of a local protocol designed to detect and treat preoperative anemia resulted in reduced ABT rates and a shorter duration of length of hospital stay (LOS). We retrospectively audited 683 patients undergoing primary hip and knee replacements. We collated data for all patients about hospital length of stay and blood transfusions received. Both descriptive statistics and univariate analysis were performed. Approximately 21.6% of the cohort within the study who were anemic at preoperative clinic had a significantly increased median LOS of 2 days (p < .001) and an increased packed red cell transfusion rate compared with non-anemic patients (26.1% vs. 2.21%, p < 001). However, treatment of preoperative anemia did not show any significant difference in transfusion rates compared with patients who did not receive corrective treatment. The median LOS was higher by 1 day in the treated group compared with the nontreated cohort (p = .005). There is significant evidence to suggest that preoperative anemia can increase LOS and increase the risk of requiring postoperative blood transfusions. However, anemia should be regarded as a characteristic that can add to the outcome in a cumulative manner, as opposed to an isolated factor. Further research is needed on how to better manage preoperative anemia in order to improve patients' outcomes.

Two nitazoxanide-based quadruple regimens for eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection

Background and aim Eradication of Helicobacter pylori becomes an ongoing challenge worldwide because eradication rates of H. pylori are declining to less than 60% in some countries. As there is no acceptable definite long-standing used therapeutic regimen for H. pylori, clinicians are doing their best to find new regimens to improve eradication rates of H. pylori. Nitazoxanid and fluoroquinolones, including moxifloxacin and levofloxacin, have been used in treatment of H. pylori. The study aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of two nitazoxanide-based quadruple regimens in treatment of patients infected with H. pylori. Patients and methods This prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted on 100 patients diagnosed to be infected by H. pylori by stool antigen test (one-step H. pylori Antigen test Device). They were randomized into two groups: group 1: 50 patients were treated for 14 days with quadruple therapy, including nitazoxanide, moxifloxacin, omeprazole, and doxycycline; and group 2: 50 patients were treated for 14 days with quadruple therapy, including nitazoxanide, levofloxacin, omeprazole, and doxycycline. Eradication of H. pylori was assessed 4 weeks after the end of treatment by stool antigen test (one-step H. pylori Antigen test Device). Results Eradication rate of H. pylori infection was higher in patients treated with nitazoxanide–moxifloxacin-based quadruple therapy 37 (74%) than in patients treated with nitazoxanide–levofloxacin-based quadruple therapy 32 (64%), but there were no significant differences between the studied groups with P value (P&lt;0.28). By subgroup analysis of eradication rate among anemic and nonanemic patients treated by nitazoxanide–moxifloxacin and nitazoxanide–levofloxacin-based quadruple therapy, we found that eradication rate was higher in anemic patients 88% and 80% than nonanemic patients 60% and 45%, with significant P values 0.02 and 0.01, respectively. Conclusions Use of moxifloxacin instead of levofloxacin in the nitazoxanide-based quadruple regimen improves eradication therapy of H. pylori.

Role of serum hepcidin and reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration in evaluation of anemia in ulcerative colitis patients

CONTEXT: One of the most common extra-intestinal signs of ulcerative colitis (UC) disease is anemia, which has a significant influence on patients' quality of life. AIM: The aim was to evaluate the role of serum hepcidin and reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration (CHr) in the study of anemia in UC patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We recruited 80 UC patients and 30 healthy individuals of matched age and sex as controls. Subjects were subdivided into three groups – Group I: 50 anemic UC patients, Group II: 30 nonanemic UC patients, and Group III: 30 healthy controls. RESULTS: CHr showed a statistically highly significant decline in Group I than Groups II and III. Serum hepcidin showed a significant difference between Groups I, II, and III. We reported a significant negative correlation between CHr and severity of UC and extension of UC and a significant positive correlation between CHr and hemoglobin level, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), serum ferritin, and transferrin saturation. While, serum hepcidin had a significant negative correlation with severity and extension of UC and a significant positive correlation with hemoglobin level, MCV, serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, and CHr. CONCLUSIONS: CHr had an excellent performance in prediction of iron-restricted anemia and was the test of best performance in prediction of iron-deficiency anemia ± ACD. Serum hepcidin had an excellent performance in prediction of ACD.