Clinical Profile and Hematological Parameters in Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency disorder globally, affecting a disproportionately large segment of populations in developing countries. Despite its widespread recognition, comprehensive characterization of the clinical profile and hematological parameters across varying severities of IDA remains inadequately explored in many regional populations. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical presentations and hematological parameters in patients diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia and to assess their correlation with disease severity. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital. A total of 320 patients diagnosed with IDA based on standard hematological and iron study criteria were enrolled. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, and comprehensive hematological parameters including complete blood count, peripheral blood smear morphology, serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation were systematically evaluated. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe anemia groups according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The mean age of participants was 34.6 ± 12.8 years, with a female predominance (72.5%). The most common clinical presentations were generalized fatigue (89.4%), pallor (82.2%), and exertional dyspnea (54.1%). The mean hemoglobin was 8.2 ± 2.1 g/dL, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was 68.4 ± 8.7 fL, mean serum ferritin was 6.8 ± 4.2 ng/mL, and mean TIBC was 428.6 ± 62.3 µg/dL. Significant progressive deterioration in hematological indices was observed across mild, moderate, and severe groups (p < 0.001). Serum ferritin demonstrated the strongest negative correlation with disease severity (r = −0.72, p < 0.001). Microcytic hypochromic morphology on peripheral smear was present in 74.1% of patients. Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia presents with a characteristic constellation of clinical symptoms and hematological abnormalities that progressively worsen with increasing disease severity. Serum ferritin remains the most reliable single marker for assessing iron depletion severity, while a comprehensive evaluation integrating clinical assessment with multiple hematological parameters is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic stratification.