Original Research

Frequency of Celiac Disease in Adult Patients Presenting with IronDeficiency Anemia

Shaheen Bano
Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore
Abdul Rehman Pasha
Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore
Fatima Javad
Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore
Hafiz Abdul Rauf
Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore
Fahad Aman Khan
Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore
Nazish Shafi
Gulab Devi Hospital Lahore

✉ Correspondence: Shaheen Bano Email: shaheenkhan7102@gmail.com

DOI https://doi.org/10.70302/jpsim.v6i3.2547
Volume: 6, Issue 3 Pages: 253–258 Published: 23 Aug 2025
Received: 18 Feb 2025 Revised: 27 Feb 2025 Accepted: 18 Jul 2025 Published Online: 23 Aug 2025

Abstract

Objective

To determine the prevalence of celiac disease in adult patients with iron deficiency anemia and identify any potential clinical and laboratory markers associated with the condition.

Methods

This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Gulab Devi Hospital, Medicine Department, IPD (Indoor Patient Department) during September 2024 to march 2025. Data were collected from 160 patients including demographic information (age, gender, etc.), clinical symptoms, laboratory results, and the outcome of the serological tests for celiac disease.

Results

Data were collected from 160 patients, with a mean age of 42.3 ± 15.8 years. Among the participants, 46.9% were male and 53.1% were female. The most common symptoms reported were fatigue (84.4%), pallor (75%), and weakness (68.8%). Abdominal discomfort, weight loss, and bloating were less frequent, occurring in 28.1%, 18.8%, and 21.9% of patients, respectively. Laboratory results showed a mean hemoglobin level of 9.2 ± 1.4 g/dL, serum ferritin of 9.4 ± 3.6 ng/mL, and transferrin saturation of 10.2% ± 4.7%, indicating severe iron deficiency.

Conclusion

It is concluded that celiac disease is a significant but underdiagnosed cause of iron deficiency anemia in adults, with a prevalence of 7.5% in the studied cohort. Clinicians should consider screening for celiac disease in patients with unexplained IDA, particularly those who do not respond to iron supplementation.

Keywords
Patients Celiac disease Protein Iron IDA Prevalence Supplementation

How to Cite This Article

Bano S, Pasha AR, Javad F, Rauf HA, Khan FA, Shafi N. Frequency of Celiac Disease in Adult Patients Presenting with IronDeficiency Anemia. J Pak Soc Intern Med. 2025;6(3):253–258. doi:10.70302/jpsim.v6i3.2547

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Conflict of Interest

All authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosed in accordance with ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Funding

No specific funding was received for this research.

Funder information follows the Crossref Funder Registry standard.

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Reference list indexed for Google Scholar and ResearchGate. DOI links resolve via doi.org.

CC BY CC BY 4.0 This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. May be shared and adapted with attribution. © 2025 Journal of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine.
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