Photo Credit: Elena Nechaeva
Anemia is prevalent among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published in Cureus. Researchers examined the prevalence of anemia among 330 patients with rheumatoid arthritis presenting at a tertiary care hospital in 2023. More than half of participants had anemia (54.55%). The mean hemoglobin level among these patients was 11.41 g/dL, and the red blood cell count averaged 4.26 million/µL. The Disease Activity Score was higher in patients with anemia (mean 5.23 vs 4.98 in those without anemia). Most people with anemia had elevated C-reactive protein levels (83.33%; mean C-reactive protein, 28.79 mg/L) and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (88.89%; mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate, 45.17 mm/hour). The investigators observed significant associations between anemia and longer disease duration, higher rheumatoid arthritis severity, and increased inflammatory markers.
