Abstract

A STUDY ON IMPACT OF ANEMIA IN CHRONIC DISEASE IN COPD

A. Vikneswari* and T. Tamizh Mani

Abstract

Anemia is common in patients with chronic diseases. However, little is known regarding the prevalence of comorbid anemia and its impact on quality of life, healthcare utilization and mortality in patients with COPD. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD, a common preventable and treatable disease, is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases. Exacerbations and co-morbidities contribute to the overall severity in individual patients. COPD is expected to become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. We did study of anemia and its association with COPD patient. In our cohort of 244 patients, anemia present in 75.45% of all COPD patients, this was higher than the findings from previous studies. Out of 184 anemic patients 89 are found as mild, 74 having moderate, 16 patients are having severe and 5 patients are having life threatening anemia. The distribution of anemia in male and female is 134 (74.46%) and 47 (25.54%) respectively which is statistically significant. There was an inverse association with SPO2 and severity of anemia. Among COPD patients, anemia of chronic disease was found to more common than iron deficiency anemia in COPD patients. Anemia of chronic disease is relatively common in COPD patients but is an underestimated issue.

Keywords: Anemia in chronic disease, COPD, SPO2.