Retrospective analysis of the prevalence and causes of anaemia in hospitalised elderly patients

Abstract

Introduction: Anaemia is common in the elderly. Little is known regarding anaemia in hospitalised elderly patients in South Africa. A retrospective study determined the prevalence and causes of anaemia in elderly patients hospitalised for acute medical problems.Methods: Patients with anaemia were identified from the computerised database of a geriatric unit. Laboratory tests and clinical information on these patients were reviewed to determine the cause of the anaemia defined according to the WHO criteria (haemoglobin level ≤ 12 g/l for women and ≤ 13 g/l men).Results: Of 759 consecutive geriatric patients, 236 (31.1%) were anaemic. The majority (n = 150; 63.6%) were female, with a mean age of 82.2 years. The male patients had a mean age of 80.8 years. The mean haemoglobin values were 10.7 g/l and 10.2 g/l for male and female patients, respectively. In 96 (40.7%) patients, the cause of anaemia could not be determined. Of the remaining 140 patients, 25.7% had anaemia of chronic disorders, 24.3% had iron deficiency anaemia and 13.6% had multiple causes.Conclusion: Approximately one-third of hospitalised elderly patients were anaemic on admission, although many were not adequately investigated. Chronic disorders and iron deficiency were the most common causes of anaemia.

Relationship between anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, and dietary lifestyle of the older adults attending a primary care clinic in Nigeria

“…27 The lower prevalence of anaemia reported in the index study as compared to Melku et al study in Ethiopia may be explained by high proportion of vegans among their respondents. 20 Since, anaemia worsens with advancing age, [5][6][7][8][9][10] the higher prevalence of anaemia reported among respondents in France could be due to the high age cutoff of 65 years as compared 60 years used in this study. 27 However, a lower prevalence of 21.1% was reported by Bach et al in a large cohort study in European University Hospitals.…”

“…Various studies also revealed a similar finding. [1][2][3][5][6][7][8][9][10][31][32][33][34] As people age, their erythroid precursors in their bone marrow diminish, and they become less receptive to stimulatory growth factors. 32 Additional reasons found in this study include; swallowing difficulties, a low-protein diet, insufficient fluid intake, loss of appetite, and a negative self-perception of one's nutritional state as one ages.…”

“…6 However, higher prevalence was reported in developing countries, ranging from 31.1% in hospital-based studies to 47.7% in communitybased studies and as high as 68.7% in nursing homes. 8,9,10 The socio-demographic and lifestyle differences might be responsible for the difference in the prevalence of anaemia between developed and developing countries.…”

“…12 The results of previous studies indicated that inadequate dietary intake, poor nutritional status, and heavy smoking or alcohol consumption were correlated with iron metabolism or the risk of anaemia. 8,9,13 As a result, the dietary lifestyle pattern is now viewed as a novel strategy to be used in nutritional epidemiology to evaluate disease risk. 13 Every country in the world is experiencing growth in both the size and the proportion of older persons in the population.…”

“… 6 However, higher prevalence was reported in developing countries, ranging from 31.1% in hospital-based studies to 47.7% in community-based studies and as high as 68.7% in nursing homes. 8 , 9 , 10 …”