DIABETES-MELLITUS INCREASES THE SEVERITY OF ANEMIA IN NON-DIALYZED PATIENTS WITH RENAL-FAILURE

We investigated whether the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was rel ated to the severity of the anemia observed in patients with renal fai lure who were not receiving dialysis, Forty patients were examined, (1 9 with longterm type II DM (DM-CRF), 21 with renal failure due to othe r causes (non-DM-CRF)), The two groups did not differ significantly as to age, sex, serum creatinine or erythropoietin. Hemoglobin was signi ficantly (p<0.005) lower in the DM-CRF patients (9.5 +/- 2.1 g/dl) tha n in the non-DM-CRF patients (11.2 +/- 2.0 g/dl). Multiple regression analysis indicated that higher serum creatinine levels and the presenc e of DM were independent risk factors for anemia (R-2=0.494, p < 0.001 ). DM appeared to be a risk factor for the severity of anemia in patie nts with renal failure who were not receiving dialysis.