Anemia in older persons is commonly overlooked despite mounting evidence that low hemoglobin levels are a significant marker of physiologic decline. Using the World Health Organization definition of anemia (hemoglobin level less than 13 g per dL [130 g per L] in men and less than 12 g per dL [120 g per L] in women), more than 10 percent of persons older than 65 years are anemic. The prevalence ...

BACKGROUND In many elderly patients with anemia, a specific cause cannot be identified. This study investigates whether erythropoietin levels are inappropriately low in these cases of "anemia of unknown etiology" and whether this trend persists after accounting for confounders. METHODS This study includes all anemic patients over 60 years old who had erythropoietin measured between 2005 and 2...

The anemia of chronic disease traditionally is defined as a hypoproliferative anemia of no apparent cause that occurs in association with an inflammatory, infectious, or neoplastic disorder, and resolves when the underlying disorder is corrected. Disordered iron metabolism as manifested by a low serum iron, decreased serum transferrin, decreased transferrin saturation, increased serum ferritin,...

Anemia is an important disease often found in the elderly. Iron deficiency anemia and secondary anemia are relatively frequent. Patients with iron deficiency anemia should be examined for the presence of gastrointestinal disease, including malignant disease, as a possible underlying condition. In addition, secondary anemia may result from chronic infectious disease, chronic inflammatory disease...