title: [Clinical evaluation of anemia in the aged].
abstract: Of 533 patients over 65 years old (153 males and 380 females), admitted to geriatric units for various medical diseases, 111 (20.8%) were anemic. Among males the prevalence of anemia was 30.1%, among females 17.1%. Three principal causes of anemia were revealed. The most frequent (42.3%) was microcytic, hypochromic anemia, with low levels of serum iron concentrations, related to gastrointestinal diseases (with chronic occult blood loss). 38.7% of anemic elderly people was affected by chronic diseases. In 19.0% a folate (16 case) and iron (5 cases) deficiency was revealed. These results suggest that anemia in the elderly is always pathological; hemoglobin values lower than 12 g/dl should be considered abnormal and investigated.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Clinica Medica II, Università di Pisa.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pentimone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Corso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frustaci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gnesi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Romanelli
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sabbatini
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D009780:Occult Blood; D012737:Sex Factors
vernacular_title: Valutazione clinica dell'anziano anemico.