Prognostic impact of anemia on the mortality of United Arab Emirates nationals with cardiovascular disease

Abstract EN

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Multiple risk factors, including low hemoglobin levels, have been associated with poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease.

However, the long-term impact of anemia on death has not been investigated in high-risk patients in the United Arab Emirates.

Therefore, this study evaluated whether anemia is a significant predictor of mortality in United Arab Emirates nationals with cardiovascular disease over 10 years.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in an adult population of United Arab Emirates nationals with a history of cardiovascular disease, recruited from a tertiary healthcare facility.

Electronic medical records between April 2008 and December 2008 were reviewed, and follow-up was conducted until December 2019.

The survival functions for all-cause mortality in the presence and absence of anemia were compared using univariate Kaplan–Meier analysis with a log-rank test.

The association between anemia and all-cause mortality was evaluated using a multivariable Cox regression model.

Results: A total of 224 patients were included in the follow-up for 10.5 years.

At baseline, 46% of the patients had anemia, with a mean Hgb level of 105.5 ± 28.0 g/L.

Patients with anemia were older (68 vs.

63 years, p = 0.001) and had a higher rate of chronic kidney disease (37.5% vs.

17.5%, p = 0.001) than those without anemia.

A total of 77 (34.4%) deaths were recorded by the end of the follow-up period.

Risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with anemia than in those without (hazard ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval = 1.22–3.40, p = 0.006).

Age and chronic kidney disease were also statistically significant predictors of death (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Anemia is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in United Arab Emirates nationals with underlying cardiovascular disease.

Early intervention and treatment for anemia may improve clinical outcomes in this population.