The prevalence and causes of anemia in the elderly have been studied in 142 individuals aged 60-99 in a small rural community in which a high prevalence of nutritional anemia in pregnancy and childhood has been previously shown. The mean hemoglobin levels of elderly patients were significantly lower than those of the control groups of younger individuals and the prevalence of anemia increased with age. However, the reduction of hemoglobin was slight and in only 2% of the subjects studied has an anemia of less than 10 g/dl been found. The mild reduction of hemoglobin in the elderly population was paralleled by a slight, but significant reduction in serum iron, red cell folates and serum vitamin B12, and a slight increase in TIBC. Therapeutic trial with folic acid failed to improve hemoglobin levels but iron therapy resulted in an increase of at least 1 g/dl in about half of the patients with less than 13 g initial hemoglobin. In the rest of the patients who failed to respond to either folate or iron therapy, anemia was most probably the consequence of underlying chronic disorders where inflammation and renal insufficiency might have been the mechanism responsible for reduced hemoglobin levels. The relatively low prevalence and the mildness of nutritional anemia in the elderly, as opposed to the high prevalence and the severity of anemia in children and pregnant women in the same community, seems to support the contention that increased demand, rather than limited supply is the main factor responsible for the development of nutritional anemia.

Keywords:
Anemia, Elderly, Iron deficiency, Nutritional anemia
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© 1979 S. Karger AG, Basel
1979
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