Anemia in the News

Anemia in very elderly people appears to be associated with an increased risk of death, according to a recent study from the Netherlands, in an early release by the Canadian Medical Association Journal.¹ Results from this study indicate that elderly people who were anemic at age 85 had a 41% increased risk of death, regardless of the presence of other diseases.

According to the authors, “It is important to study the impact of anemia in old age, because the very elderly are the fastest growing segment of the general population, and the prevalence of anemia increases with age. Therefore, anemia in old age can have a significant effect on the health care needs and costs in our aging society.”

Researchers prospectively studied 562 85-year-old inhabitants of Leiden, Netherlands over a five-year period. Among these people, 26.7% had anemia at baseline (prevalent anemia), and another 24% developed anemia over the 5-year follow-up period (incident anemia). Incident anemia had a stronger impact on mortality than prevalent anemia. The study also indicated that the risk of mortality increased with the severity of the anemia. This risk of death was similar among men and women, and among those living in long-term care facilities or independently in the community.

For more information about this study, view the original article at PubMed or view a commentary article² which will also be published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

References

1. den Elzen WP, Willems JM, Westendorp RG, de Craen AJ, Assendelft WJ, Gussekloo J. Effect of anemia and comorbidity on functional status and mortality in old age: results from the Leiden 85-plus Study. CMAJ. 2009 Jul 27. Link.
2. Paltiel O, Clarfield AM. Anemia in elderly people: Risk marker or risk factor? CMAJ. 2009 Jul 27. Link.

Last Updated: July 31, 2009