[Anemia and functional incapacity at admission to a geriatric home].
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the prevalence of anemia on admission to a nursing home, and to assess the relationship between the observed cases of anemia and the functional status of those subjects.


METHODS
We studied 198 subjects: 82 men (41%) aged 75.8 +/- 8.8 years, and 116 women (59%) aged 78.2 +/- 8.3 years. Anemia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the World Health Organization. The classification as non-disabled, or physically or mentally disabled, was done according to the Scales of the Spanish Red Cross.


RESULTS
Anemia was diagnosed in 36% of the males, being microcytic in 14%, normocytic in 83%, and macrocytic only in 3% of them. Among women there were 44% with anemia, which was microcytic in 16%, normocytic in 80%, and macrocytic in 4% of cases. The prevalence of anemia increased with age in both sexes. Among men, anemia was significantly associated (p = 0.013) with physical disability, whereas among women this association just fell off significance (p = 0.06). There was no association of anemia with mental disability. No association was found between serum concentrations of ferritin, vitamin B12, or folic acid, and the classification as non-disabled, or as physically or mentally disabled.


CONCLUSIONS
Anemia is found in about 40% of the elderly on admission to our nursing home. Anemia is associated with older age and with physical disability, but not with mental disability. Whether anemia on admission entails a higher risk of disability onset during the stay in the nursing home remains to be elucidated.
Anía Lafuente
B J
BJ
Hospital Doctor Negrín, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Fernández-Burriel Tercero
M
M
Suárez Almenara
J L
JL
Betancort Mastrángelo
C C
CC
Guerra Hernández
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence