ABSTRACT
Although anemia is more prevalent as aging proceeds, it cannot be assumed that it happens due to aging alone. The biggest prevalence of anemia is in the oldest old who are hospitalized. An analysis of occurrence and charactertistics of anemia in the elderly 65+ y. admitted to acute geriatric department. During the period of two years the authors treated 2282 elderly patients aged 65+ y. Out of them a subgroup of 246 old anemic patients with hemoglobin <110 g/I (aged 81+/- 7.2 y.) was selected. The prevalence of anemic patients among all the acutely admitted seniors ranged between 7.1% and 20% (from 65 y. to 100 y.). All the data of these anemic patients (both clinical and laboratory) were collected and analyzed. Hemoglobin by hospital admission in average was 93.4 g/l +/- 12.9; below 80 g/l in 56 cases. The authors found anemic persons living lonely in the community more frequently (p = 0.005) than in elderly people living with somebody or in an institution. No significant gender differences in the occurrence of anemia were observed. MCV (Microtic Cell Volume) was normal in 73% of patients; below 80 fl in 23% and above 100 fl in 4% of all anemic patients. Low iron level though was present in 192-times (78%). Low zinc level was together in this anemic patient set present in 222 cases (90.2%). During hospitalization the status was as follows: worsened 18-times; stationary 160-times and significantly improved 68-times. Anemia in the elderly is often caused by a benign disease and, in fact, may simply be a marker of a chronic illness. It may be, however, a presenting sign of a serious disease, including cancer. The authors point out some aspects, risks and pitfalls of anemia in the elderly following their own experiences concerning anemia as a chronic disease.
