Hemoglobin concentration in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Anemia is a common but often overlooked complication of diabetes. We investigated the relationship between hemoglobin concentration and various factors as well as markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hemoglobin concentration was measured in 319 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We evaluated the relationship between hemoglobin concentration and various factors including age, body mass index, and glycemic control, as well as between hemoglobin concentration and pulse wave velocity or ankle-brachial index (n = 209) and between hemoglobin concentration and carotid intima-media thickness or plaque score (n = 125). Mean hemoglobin concentration was 14.2 ± 0.80 g/dL. Body mass index (r = 0.340, P < .0001) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.219, P = .0011) were positively associated with hemoglobin concentration, whereas age (r = −0.388, P < .0001), glycated albumin (r = −0.148, P = .0121), serum creatinine concentration (r = −0.206, P = .0019), and log (urinary albumin excretion) (r = −0.188, P = .0010) were negatively associated with hemoglobin concentration. Multiple regression analysis identified age (β = −0.222, P = .0019), body mass index (β = 0.145, P = .0432), systolic blood pressure (β = 0.214, P = .0015), total cholesterol concentration (β = 0.170, P = .0077), and serum creatinine concentration (β = −0.181, P = .0045) as independent determinants of hemoglobin concentration. No significant association was observed between hemoglobin concentration and serum erythropoietin concentration (r = −0.079, P = .2980). Negative correlations were found between hemoglobin concentration and pulse wave velocity (r = −0.289, P < .0001) and between hemoglobin concentration and plaque score (r = −0.275, P = .0024). In conclusion, hemoglobin concentration was associated with various factors; and decreased hemoglobin concentration was associated with subclinical markers of atherosclerosis in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.