Hematological abnormalities and associated factors among metabolic syndrome patients at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of interconnected metabolic diseases. Hematological abnormalities are common but neglected complications of MetS. Thus, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of hematological abnormalities and their associated factors among MetS patients at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Method A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital from March to May 2022. A total of 384 MetS patients were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaires and checklists. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were taken, and blood sample was collected for complete blood count determination. Stool and blood film examinations were performed to detect intestinal and malaria parasites, respectively. Data were entered into EpiData 3.1 and analyzed by Stata 14.0 software. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with hematological abnormalities. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The magnitude of anemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and thrombocytosis was found to be 13.3%, 0.5%, 2.9%, 1.6%, and 2.3%, respectively. Being male (AOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.14, 6.20), rural residency (AOR = 5.79, 95% CI: 1.72, 19.51), taking antihypertensive medications (AOR = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.16, 12.78), having elevated triglyceride level (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.03, 4.75), and being overweight or obese (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.64) were significantly associated with anemia. Conclusions Anemia was the most prevalent hematological abnormality identified in the present study, followed by leukocytosis and thrombocytosis. Anemia was a mild public health problem among MetS patients in the study area. Routine anemia screening for all MetS patients, especially for those with significant associated factors, may help in the early detection and effective management of anemia, which subsequently improves the patients’ quality of life.

Association of Leukocyte, Erythrocyte, and Platelet Counts with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Young Individuals without Overt Signs of Inflammation: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Furthermore, the prevalence of hyperuricemia in males in our study was more than twice that in females. In contrast to the reports in adults on MetS-associated anemia [61,62], we revealed the lowest mean erythrocyte counts in males presenting with the most favorable phenotype (Table 6). In the last node, females with low HDL-C had significantly lower mean erythrocyte counts than those with levels > 1.29 mmol/L (Table 7).…”

“…In adults with MetS, higher erythrocyte counts and their significant associations with MetS components [23,57] or MetS-associated anemia resulting from low-grade inflammationinduced iron deficiency [61,62] have been described. Data on young subjects are scarce.…”