The following is a summary of “Nonlinearity association of serum calcium with the risk of anemia in US adults,” published in the May 2023 issue of Hematology by Chen, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to examine the correlation between serum calcium levels and the risk of anemia in adults in the United States.

In the cross-sectional study, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were utilized, involving 15,519 participants aged ≥18. Multivariate logistic regression and a generalized additive model (GAM) were employed for the statistical analyses. Subgroup analysis, stratified by gender and age, was also conducted.

Among the 15,519 individuals included in the sample, 1,565 (10.8%) had a diagnosis of anemia. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated an inverse association between serum calcium levels and the risk of anemia. Furthermore, utilizing GAM and smooth curve fitting, a non-linear relationship between serum calcium levels and the risk of anemia was observed. The inflection point of serum calcium was identified as 2.3 mmol/L. The GAM analysis with penalized splines indicated a reverse correlation between serum calcium and the prevalence of anemia when the serum calcium concentration was below 2.3 mmol/L. However, no statistically significant difference was found when the serum calcium concentration exceeded the inflection point (2.3 mmol/L).

The study’s findings suggested that lower serum calcium levels were associated with an increased risk of anemia. Additionally, a non-linear correlation between serum calcium and anemia risk was identified. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these results.

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16078454.2023.2217598