Does Diabetes Cause Anemia? Diabetes is a health condition that controls your lifestyle slowly. You never know how it will gradually affect your quality of life. Normally, a person with diabetes will not understand its impact during their young ages, but as they grow old there will be a different disease that arises just as the effect of diabetes, be it type I or type 2 diabetes.
On the other hand, anemia is a health condition where people suffer from tiredness. One is said to be anemic when men have less than 130 g/L and women has less than 120 g/L and it is a common blood disorder. This has inadequate red blood cells that do not allow them to meet their physiological needs of their human body. The question that arises now is whether diabetes is a cause leading to anemia?
Anemia and Its Effects
As already mentioned, it is clear that anemia is a condition where one has low number of healthy red blood cells than normal. The amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells is lower than normal.
It is red blood cells that are responsible for carrying oxygen from your lungs to the rest of the body. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from your blood to the rest of your body. Apart from those red blood cells also carries the waste products to the respiratory and the urinary system for excretion.
Thus, if there are less blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin is low your blood will not receive enough oxygen as it should. It will cause fatigue and other health symptoms like getting tired easily, no energy, light headedness and others.
Now, you must be thinking that what are the causes that lead to anemia?
There are varied reasons that lead to anemia. There are more than 400 types of anemia and the cause behind them is many. Here are a few of them.
- Anemia can be caused by a loss of blood. When the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow reduced anemia is caused.
- Even if there is destruction of red blood cells due to certain reason anemia can occur.
Most of the time anemia goes unrecognized and that leads to the main problem. The common symptoms of anemia are so deceiving that they are mistaken with the symptoms of other diseases and thus the patient is not treated well. However, it has the power of reducing the quality of your life, and it can reduce your effectiveness keeping you tired all the time.
Diabetes and Anemia
The question that is quite common at this point is whether diabetes causes anemia? The answer cannot be given straight away as there are no proof that diabetes causes anemia directly, but certain complications that arise out of diabetes and the health conditions associated with it can lead to anemia is a human body.
Like, kidney disease or nerve damage can happen due to diabetes and they have contribution for development of anemia. Apart from that, diabetics must take certain oral medications that may develop the risk of having anemia. Another reason that diabetic people are prone to anemia is not eating properly. Their body cannot absorb the vitamins from the food properly and thus it may lead to anemia.
Different Health Conditions Related With Diabetes That Leads to Anemia
Kidney disease: Regularly, the kidneys discharge a hormone called erythropoietin. This hormone animates the bone marrow to deliver red blood cells. In a patient suffering from diabetic nephropathy, the small blood vessels that channel squander items from the body become harmed and begin “spilling” substances, (for example, protein) into the urine.
Simultaneously, the measure of erythropoietin created by the kidneys is reduced, prompting anemia. A few examinations have demonstrated that reduced erythropoietin generation and anemia happen prior in individuals with diabetes and kidney disease than in those with kidney disease and no diabetes.
Both incessantly high blood glucose levels and hypertension can cause kidney harm. You certainly do not want this to happen!
Neuropathy: Anyone who is suffering from autonomic neuropathy will not have their kidneys working properly. The body will not inform the kidney for producing the required amount of erythropoietin. This will lead to anemia.
Heart disorders: Individuals who have diabetes are at an expanded hazard for heart disorder, or the heart is unable to send blood to the required cells. Diminished heart capacity can cause kidney brokenness, and numerous individuals with other heart disorder likewise have nourishing inadequacies; both of these can add to anemia. About 20% of individuals with heart disorder are weak.
Supplement insufficiencies: Numerous individuals who have diabetes have supplement insufficiencies that can cause anemia. Supplement inadequacies can be brought about by either not eating enough supplements (in light of the fact that an individual confines his nourishment decisions, for instance) or by the body’s powerlessness to assimilate the supplements that are eaten. Deficiencys in iron, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate would all be able to cause anemia.
There is another condition that influences the body’s capacity to ingest supplements is celiac disease. In celiac disease, the body can’t endure gluten, a protein found in wheat, grain, and rye. On the off chance that gluten is eaten, the ordinary, finger-like folds of the small digestive tract level out, anticipating the retention of the gluten as well as of different supplements, also. Around one of every 20 individuals who have diabetes likewise has celiac disease.
Bariatric (weight reduction) medical procedure can likewise prompt supplement insufficiencies that reason anemia. Vitamin and mineral enhancements are for the most part required after bariatric medical procedure to forestall this.
Diabetes drugs: Metformin is the most generally recommended treatment for individuals with Type 2 diabetes. It is currently perceived that metformin can cause malabsorption of vitamin B12 and that long haul use (12–15 years) of metformin prompts vitamin B12 insufficiency in 30% of individuals who use it. Vitamin B12 inadequacy can cause anemia and furthermore fringe neuropathy (nerve harm in the feet, legs, hands, and arms).
Side Effects of Being Anemic
An individual with exceptionally mellow anemia may have no side effects, however increasingly genuine anemia can cause tiredness, shortcoming, wooziness, crabbiness, brevity of breath, as well as despondency.
It can, likewise, cause fragile nails, cold hands and feet, fair skin, deadness or potentially shivering in the toes, fingers, and feet, an unpredictable heartbeat, chest torment, yearnings to eat strange things, for example, ice, trouble in concentrating and even sexual issues.
On the off chance that you have these side effects, ask your physician to verify whether you are weak.
Diagnosing Anemia
Anemia is determined to have a blood test. The blood test is dissected for the measure of hemoglobin in the blood and for the hematocrit.
For men, the ordinary hemoglobin range is 13.8–17.2 grams per deciliter (g/dl), and the typical hematocrit is 40.7% to 50.3%.
For ladies who are not pregnant, the ordinary hemoglobin range is 12.1–15.1 gm/dl, and the typical hematocrit is 36.1% to 44.3%.
The typical reaches for the two people may differ to some degree starting with one research center then onto the next and furthermore shift as indicated by elevation. At higher elevations, the body creates progressively red blood cells because of the diminished oxygen accessible. A higher number of red blood cells implies that hemoglobin levels and hematocrit are additionally expanded.
Test results beneath the low finish of the ordinary range for either hemoglobin or hematocrit can demonstrate anemia. In the event that underlying tests show anemia, more blood tests might be done to set up the reason for the anemia and the best way to deal with treatment. For instance, a test for the degree of iron in the blood is regularly done, since iron insufficiency is the most widely recognized reason for anemia.
Other demonstrative devices incorporate a physical assessment and getting some information about such things as family ancestry of anemia, diet, utilization of medicine or over-the-counter medications, substantial menstrual seeping (in premenopausal ladies), and any indications of inward dying, for example, blood in stools.
As a side note, every blood glucose meters has a limit of hematocrit at which they give exact outcomes. While checking your blood sugar, if you have hematocrit that exceeds your meter range you need to be very careful. The bundle embed that accompanied your meter should express its hematocrit go.
Treatment and Avoidance
The treatment for anemia relies upon the reason and seriousness of it. For instance, if anemia is because of blood misfortune and it’s not extreme, distinguishing the wellspring of draining and halting it will regularly be sufficient to switch the anemia.
For different causes or increasingly genuine cases, maybe different advances ought to be taken, for example, treating a basic disease, taking vitamin or mineral enhancements, and rolling out dietary improvements.
In all cases, it sets aside effort for the body to make new red blood cells, so an individual is probably going to feel better bit by bit.
Since anemia can repeat, contingent upon the reason, the means taken to treat it might should be proceeded — conceivably forever — to keep it from returning.
Kidney disease: On the off chance that you have kidney issues, you ought to be under the consideration of a nephrologist, a doctor who spends significant time in kidney diseases. Treatment for anemia identified with kidney disease may incorporate the two stages to invert the anemia and ventures to improve kidney work (or keep it from intensifying).
Additionally significant for counteracting further kidney harm are achieving and keeping up blood glucose levels as close to typical as could be expected under the circumstances and a blood weight level beneath 130/80 mm Hg. On the off chance that your kidney harm is as of now serious, in any case, you may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Regardless of how extreme your kidney disease, you should meet with a registered dietitian who has some expertise in kidney diseases to assist you with your nourishment decisions. Individuals with diabetes and kidney disease have dietary needs that are fairly not quite the same as those of individuals who have diabetes and no kidney disease.
Specifically, they need individualized rules for protein, potassium, phosphorus, and liquid admission, just as for starch consumption.
Heart disorder: Accept your prescriptions as endorsed, and pursue your sound way of life plan. Gauge yourself each morning, and report a weight increase of 3 pounds in a single day or 5 pounds in a single week to your medicinal services group. Quick weight addition, for example, this can imply that your heart capacity is declining, and liquid is amassing some place in your body.
Diabetes drugs. There may be times when you have to rely upon thiazolidinedione or metformin, you must ask your physician to check your blood to check whether you are pale. In the event that your lab results demonstrate a low vitamin B12 level, you might be endorsed B12 supplementation.
On the off chance that your hemoglobin and hematocrit are low, your portion of medication may reduce, you might be encouraged to eat more food which seems to contain higher iron, as well as you might be encouraged to begin taking iron enhancements.
Supplement lacks: On the off chance that your anemia is because of blood misfortune or a supplement insufficiency, you might be told to eat increasingly iron-rich food and conceivably to take iron enhancements.
Iron-rich sustenance incorporate hamburger, organ meats, pork, poultry, fish, mollusks, and clams. Taking vitamin C enhancements is another choice for helping your body ingest iron. Be that as it may, vitamin C enhancements can influence the exactness of some blood glucose meters.
If you decide to take Vitamin C supplements, inquire as to whether taking vitamin C (likewise called ascorbic corrosive) influences the exhibition of your meter.
In the event that your supplement insufficiency is because of an absence of vitamins or minerals other than iron, for example, folate or vitamin B12, you might be recommended an enhancement, and you will be urged to eat nourishments high in folate and B12.
Nourishments high in folate incorporate green verdant vegetables, eggs, fish, lean hamburger, organ meats, squeezed orange, dry beans, lentils, asparagus, and broccoli.
Nourishments high in vitamin B12 incorporate every single creature item, including eggs, dairy items, and meat. Individuals who pursue a veggie lover diet are in danger of vitamin B12 insufficiency and should take a vitamin B12 supplement.
Final Thoughts
Does Diabetes Cause Anemia? It’s possible, but again no proof is provided. You need to have your red blood cell count in the normal range. You certainly don’t want anemia or diabetes. But if you do have diabetes, get it under control and then hopefully you will not develop anemia!
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Hello Rob, I must say that this article is very helpful and informative. Luckily I am not suffering from diabetes but I am anemic according to studies I do in the hospital. I think it is individual. My uncle suffers from diabetes for nearly 7 years and he doesn’t have a problem with anemia. Thank you for sharing such instructive information. I am sure it will help folks who already have this type of problem.
Hey Daniel,
Diabetes can do so much damage to us and anemia is not to be taken lightly.
It’s so important to stay healthy and get regular checkups so we can be on top of everything and treat it the best that we can.
Sorry that your uncle is suffering from diabetes but at least doesn’t have anemia. But it doesn’t mean we should let our guard down.
Let’s stay proactive when it comes to our health!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much for this post. I was given an assignment to write on the relationship between diabetes and anemia and I couldn’t figure how to start, with this post, I can get on the way of what to do. This post is well written and with this, I can outline what I can use for further research. Thanks again.
Hey Henderson 🙂
You’re so welcome! What a coincidence that your assignment came across this article!
Nobody wants either of these diseases so if you are diabetic, it’s crucial to get it under control, not only for your overall health but to possibly avoid anemia.
The best thing we can do is to see our doctor and keep on top of our labs and exams.
Eating healthy and exercising is surely going to help as well.
I’m glad this helps with your research too!
Thank you for your feedback 🙂
You are right as one certainly doesn’t want to get either anemia or diabetes so prevention in this case would be better than cure. It’s a relief to know that there is no proof that the two are related but you never know.
With both diseases prevention is to a degree possible with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Less sugar and processed foods and more natural whole food with fruit and veggies is a must. The side effects of both diseases are just not worth the risk so look after your health.
Hi Michel 🙂
Nobody wants diabetes OR anemia for that matter.
But when you are a diabetic, you stand the risk for other diseases so avoiding anemia is a plus for sure!
The fact of the matter is that a healthy lifestyle will help you to prevent type 2 diabetes, anemia, and hopefully most of every other kind of disease.
If you are diabetic, get your blood sugars under control. That is the best thing you can do.
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
WOW!!! I learned a lot from your article,can diabetes cause anemia, and as you explained anemia is a health condition where people suffer from tiredness. One is said to be anemic when men have less than 130 g/L and women has less than 120 g/L and it is a common blood disorder. This disease is common among the old people. I have an older man suffering from it. And supplements has been very helpful to control it and he is healthy now. Thanks for sharing this life saving article!
Hey Abayomi,
Thank you for saying! Nobody wants anemia or diabetes for that matter.
Diabetes cause so many other problems and you sure want to avoid anemia as one of them.
Going around feeling tired all the time is certainly no way to live.
Supplements do help but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as they say!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for this informative article, I must say I really enjoyed reading this article, I got to understand that Diabetes does not directly cause anemia, but certain complications and conditions associated with diabetes can contribute to it, but my question is taking certain oral diabetes drugs a big risk of developing anemia?
You are so welcome! The fact is that diabetes can cause many things. And anemia is something you don’t need for sure!
Diabetes is running rampant these days and getting worse. It’s best to avoid it or control it if you’re a diabetic.
Anemia is serious as well and if you’re feeling tired all the time, you should be checked out.
I’m not a doctor and my opinion is that I wouldn’t thing that diabetes medications would cause anemia, but I would check with a health professional for more on that!
Appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
Hi
That was an interesting read on the possible link between diabetes and anemia. The problem likely cause of true anemia and not Vitamin B12, is either caused by lack of iron in the diet or you have a medical condition preventing iron being utilised by the body. If you eat a balanced diet that is recommended by your Doctor for diabetes, then you should be getting enough iron for your dietary needs. Medication may cause anemia but I think the link is tenuous.
Vitamin B12 deficiency, although commonly referred to a type of anemia, is not true anemia, as it is more of a Vitamin deficiency. This is where your body cannot absorb B12, which is common for women especially when they age and are elderly. I personally think there is no link between the two.
My mum had diabetes for years and never had anemia.
Thanks
Antonoo
Hi Antonio!
When it comes to Diabetes there’s always a possibility that it can cause other issues.
You are certainly correct about eating a healthy diet and of course exercise is always a factor as well.
Having enough iron is equally important to avoid being anemic.
I agree that being deficient in Vitamin B12 can be an issue too.
But a deficiency in Vitamin B12 can also cause neuropathy!
Thank you for sharing!
Hello; the question can diabetes caused anemia? I would believe that it all depends on the patient’s daily activity. Even when a person is diabetic it does not mean that the person is malnourished.
Did you know that there are many functions as well as non functions of the body that cause Anemia? A person can be far from being a diabetic yet suffers severely from anemia. I know that for a fact.
DorcasW
Hey Dorcas 🙂
Diabetes doesn’t actually cause anemia. But diabetics must take care of themselves.
Diabetes is tough enough to deal with without having other complications. I agree that there could be multiple causes of anemia.
That’s why you should have regular checkups with your doctor. With something such as anemia, you should have your labs done frequently!
Thank you for your comments!
Thank you. I wonder if I have anemia. I can relate to low energy. Things have got better since I started weight lifting. You said to take heart medications as endorsed. I’m not on heart medications but some of my dad’s friends are. He says heart medications really mess people up. But they end up needing the heart medications due to eating unhealthy, in some cases. So I think it comes back down to it. Eat healthy and exercise. Once you do that hopefully you won’t have as much a chance for these conditions.
Thanks for making an interesting link between anemia and diabetes. Just like your other article about St Johns Wort you really connect the dots of everything. Take care and have a good day.
Hi Charles!
If you think you may be anemic, it might be wise to see your physician to find out? Not having energy is horrible.
I get tired sometimes but it’s from the diabetes. I’m not anemic thankfully.
And I try and preach to everyone to eat healthy and exercise. That’s the key to everything when it comes to good health.
Thank you! St. John’s Wort is an excellent supplement especially if you’re a diabetic.
I appreciate your feedback!
Hi, your post is unique as its discuss about the most killing disease that can happen to a man. It’s also educating because I learn a lot about diabetes and anemia, from your point which helps to know the cause of it and how to treat it is helpful. Most people suffer from this disease, but back then I can’t help because I have no information to render. Reading your post and sharing it on my social media will help friends!
Hello and thank you for stopping by! Anemia is not something you ever want to deal with it. So knowledge is important and helps us to control our diabetes in order to lessen the risks of contracting anemia.
It’s important to note that doing the best to prevent both of these diseases is the ultimate challenge.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as they say!
Wouldn’t you rather prevent something than suffer through it? Diabetes is just plain nasty and so is anemia.
Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Hi,
Thanks a lot for letting us know so important heath issues -Diabetes and Anemia. Today is the first time I come to know there is some connection between diabetes and anaemia. Most of us know some basics about diabetes but I am sure they don’t a lot. Today I have learned a lot from here. You are absolutely right, if anyone has diabetes they should take proper food supplement. I agree with you this type if the disease could be avoidable as we could diagnosis properly and on time.
Hey Nasmun 🙂
You’re welcome! The more we know about diseases such as anemia and diabetes the better we can prevent or treat them.
While diabetes may not actually cause anemia, it can do a lot of other types of harm to your body.
Anemia can happen for a variety of reasons and as with any disease you want to prevent it.
Always have regular checkups with your doctor as well! Your labs are vital to know!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
A very insightful post. my friend was diagnosed with anemia 6 weeks ago. She was feeling tired. She couldn’t walk long distances without her legs feeling tired, doctor took blood tests and hence the result. I was surprised when she told me it was due to diabetes (well, what do I know). Thanks for this much insight.
Regards!
Hey Jordan, Thank you! I’m so sorry to hear that your friend was diagnosed with anemia. That’s really tough.
Can’t imagine feeling that tired all the time. Isn’t ironic that the test revealed that it resulted from diabetes?
That’s why I am trying to educate everyone about blood sugar control and diabetes.
If you could please forward this message to anyone you know so that they know and may not suffer through the same thing as your friend?
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Diabetes is a debilitating disease. I have friends who have lost a foot as a result of diabetes. I recently read an article on epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of genes that turn on or off depending on environmental conditions. Diabetes is common among some native people (for example aboriginal Australians and Hopi Indians) whos traditional diet did not contain refined sugar. They do not have a gene to cope with a western diet. Also, some Mediterranean people for whom broad-beans would cause anemia. Have you heard of these epigenetic causes for anemia and diabetes?
Hi Aaron,
Yes diabetes certainly is a horrible disease. And it’s a shame that folks do sometimes have amputations as a result of diabetes.
And anemia while it may not necessarily be caused by diabetes is still an awful disease to live with as well.
I am not aware of epigenetics but will look into it for sure. That’s very interesting indeed.
The best thing any of us can do is to be proactive with our health. Read, learn and take action. That’s what it’s all about.
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
This is great information to know about the link between anemia and diabetes. My mother has diabetes and she battles it everyday, but she’s never had symptoms of anemia. On the other hand, I have close friends who have anemia and could definitely benefit from this post. I will be sure to relay information and refer them here in the future. I’m positive this will definitely help them!
Hey David!
Thanks for saying! I’m sorry your mother has diabetes. Like myself and the rest of us, it’s all too common in this day and age.
I am however happy that she doesn’t have anemia as well! Diabetes is hard enough to deal with without having other issues on top of it.
We can all live a normal life by controlling our blood sugars and diabetes. Let’s do the best and avoid things like anemia.
I hope you share this with your friends so that they don’t possibly suffer with diabetes or anemia!