(P27-041-25) Relationship Between Anemia-Related Symptoms and Hematological Markers During Gestation

Objectives: Lack of iron-rich food consumption is the main contributor to the high prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age. Those with iron deficiency anemia usually suspect the presence of anemia through its symptoms, but these signs may be misinterpreted as gestation-related in women in their pregnancy. This study examines the relationship between anemic symptoms and altered hematological markers in women in their gestation.

Methods: This study recruited 191 women aged 15 to 45 years old who attended the obstetrics and gynecology clinic during their gestation period for a routine checkup. Anthropometric and biochemical data, as well as pregnancy health-related data, were collected during follow-ups until the birth of their child. After analyzing for data completeness, 189 participants were grouped based on the presence of anemia-related symptoms and clinical diagnosis of anemia for further analysis.

Results: The mean age of those with anemia-related symptoms is smaller (30.6 ± 3.7 vs. 33.3 ± 4.1 years old, p=0.0085). Individuals diagnosed with clinical anemia with symptoms, when compared to individuals without symptoms, have higher red blood cell (RBC) count (4.4 ± 0.4 vs. 3.8 ± 0.5 10⁶/uL; p=0.011) and higher RBC-bound folate (998 ± 481 vs. 642 ± 308 ng/mL; p=0.039). Individuals without clinical anemia with anemia-related symptoms, when compared to those without symptoms, have higher RBC count (4.7 ± 0.8 vs. 4.1 ± 0.4 10⁶/uL; p=0.015) with lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (32.1 ± 1.1 vs. 32.9 ± 1.0 g/dL; p=0.018), transferrin (270 ± 52 vs. 314 ± 64 μg/dL; p=0.029), total iron blood concentration (378 ± 73 vs. 440 ± 89 μg/dL; p=0.027), and unsaturated iron-binding capacity (279 ± 94 vs. 360 ± 98 μg/dL; p=0.0079); ferritin value did not differ between groups.

Conclusions: Younger age during gestation may be correlated to the presence of anemia-related symptoms. The presence of anemia-related symptoms in non-anemic individuals may provide an early sign of altered hematological markers.

Funding Sources: This study was supported by Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital.