Abstract

MUSSO, Arturo Mario. Anemia in the elderly. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2017, vol.51, n.3, pp.319-324. ISSN 0325-2957.

Anemia in elderly people is an independent risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, 12 g/dL of haemoglobin is considered the lowest normal limit for men and women 65 years of age or older, who live at sea level. Prevalence of anemia in older people varies from 11% to 60%, and it increases with age. Approximately one third of the population have anemia due to nutritional deficiency (iron, folate, vitamin B12), in another third, anemia is present due to inflammation or chronic kidney disease, and the last third have “unexplained anemia”. The pathophysiology of “unexplained anemia” is under investigation and some possible mechanisms are reviewed. Anemia in elderly people is usually associated to several comorbidities that must be taken into account for diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords : Anemia; Elderly patients; Diagnosis and treatment.

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