Abstract

Background: Anemia is a grave problem of renal failure and has important adversative consequences. When unhealthy renal system drops its capability to make the erythropoietin critical to the formation of hemoglobin, anemia is developed. Anemia with renal failure is well-defined as a condition in which the level of hemoglobin (Hb) in the blood is under the normal range.
Methods: A retrospective study was done to evaluate the prevalence of anemia in individuals diagnosed with renal failure at the hospitals of Al Majma'ah and Al Zulfi in Saudi Arabia. The patients’ data were collected from June 2020 through June 2024, and 152 participants diagnosed with renal failure and undergoing hemodialysis have been included in the study.
Results: The study included 63% males and 37% females, and 77% in Majmaah and 59% in Zulfi were anemic. The average age of participants in Majmaah was 55.1 years, while in Zulfi, the average age was 53.4 years. Hb level in Majmaah was 10.1 g/dL, matching the 10.8 g/dL in Zulfi. The averages of the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were higher in patients from Majmaah compared to Zulfi, with values of 92.325 fL vs. 88.78 fL and 29.671 pg vs. 28.82 pg, respectively, and with minimal variations in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC; 32.2 g/dL vs. 32.5 g/dL). The mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were 6.2% and 6.5% at Majmaah and Zulfi, respectively. Ferritin levels were substantially higher in Majmaah than in Zulfi (569.6 ng/mL vs. 487.3 ng/mL). The mean urea and creatinine concentrations were higher in Majmaah than in Zulfi (22.5 md/dL vs. 10.9 mg/dL and 746.7 µmol/L vs. 476.2 µmol/L). Significant differences in Hb levels were observed between patients with and without anemia. HbA1c levels approached significance in Maj-maah but not in Zulfi. Hb exhibited a significant negative correlation with ferritin (r = -0.349, p < 0.05). MCV showed a strong positive correlation with MCH (r = 0.730, p < 0.05) and a positive correlation with urea (r = 0.225). Additionally, MCH was significantly and positively correlated with MCHC (r = 0.394, p < 0.05) and urea (r = 0.241, p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia was generally high among renal failure patients treated at Majmaah and Zulfi hospitals. Normocytic normochromic anemia is the most prevalent type in patients with renal failure. Preventive measures and targeted interventions are necessary to reduce anemia prevalence in patients of renal failure in Saudi Arabia.

DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2024.241046