Anemia Ups Risk Of Death In Elderly Individuals

According to the new research, low red blood cell counts, also known as anemia, is a risk factor for death in elderly people, apart from other diseases that might be present.

Wendy P. J. den Elzen and colleagues, from Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands, noted in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that previous reports also connected anemia with death, but it was unclear if this was simply due to the chronic diseases that often accompany anemia or the anemia itself.

The working of red blood cells is carrying oxygen around the bloodstream, from lungs to the body’s tissues.

The researchers analyzed data from 562 subjects who were at least 85 years of age. Just more than a quarter of subjects had anemia at baseline, and another quarter developed it during the five years of follow-up.

Source: Reuters, CMAJ