What is it about?
Anemia is an important issue in patients aged 60 years or over, however, its etiology and prevalence are not well known. The risk factors for anemia in the elderly population are not fully defined. So far, the impact of multiple concurrent factors on the occurrence of anemia in the elderly, including the presence of several co-morbidities, subsequent hospitalizations and the use of medical procedures has not been studied. We determined factors, which increase the risk of the development of anemia including age ≥ 80 years, the number of comorbidities and hospitalizations. The adverse impact of anemia on survival rates in the studied population is comparable to cancer and heart failure. Our results show that in a substantial percentage of cases among the elderly, the causes of anemia cannot be determined. In the etiology of anemia in this age group, the importance of iatrogenic factors such as the impact of chemo-/radiotherapy, hospitalizations and comorbidities increases.
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Why is it important?
The conclusion can be drawn that anemia is common among the studied population and its prevalence increases with age. The presence of anemia increases the risk of death, and additionally, there is an association between anemia and comorbities and hospitalizations. Based on our results it is possible to identify the group of elderly patients at high risk of the development of anemia, which is made up of people aged 80 and over, with two or more comorbidities, and those who require hospitalization. Identification of the risk group may provide the basis for recommendations for more frequent blood morphology testing in the population at risk of anemia development.
Perspectives
For two decades there has been no change in the situation of elderly patients with unexplained anemia and therefore no effective treatment is possible. The diagnosis of unexplained anemia in nearly one third of patients indicates, on the one hand, the need for a more in-depth diagnosis, and on the other hand, further research to understand the causes of anemia in this age group.
Dr Joanna Rupa-Matysek
Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Comorbidities, repeated hospitalizations, and age ≥ 80 years as indicators of anemia development in the older population, Annals of Hematology, April 2018, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s00277-018-3321-x.
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