title: Anemia in the elderly: a consequence of aging?
abstract: Anemia in the elderly is a common finding that is associated with a poorer quality of life, worse outcomes, and increased mortality. While this entity is frequently overlooked, there is often an underlying cause that is correctable. Areas covered: In this review, we shed light on the prevalence of anemia in the elderly population, review the most common causes, particularly iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic disease, and describe the available treatment modalities. When a clear etiology for the anemia is ruled-out, the term unexplained anemia may be utilized; while still an under-explored field, one of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms appears to be associated with an age-related inflammatory process. Expert commentary: Treating anemia secondary to nutritional deficiencies can be straightforward, but the management of the other types of anemia is not always the case. Treating anemia of chronic disease and anemia of chronic kidney disease may be limited by elevated levels of hepcidin and new promising treatments are still in pre-clinical and clinical trial phases. Caution should be employed when using erythropoiesis stimulating agents due to safety concerns, and when prescribing blood transfusion therapy, both of which lack the specific guidelines for use in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Racha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Halawi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Internal Medicine , American University of Beirut Medical Center , Riad El Solh , Beirut , Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moukhadder
authors.affiliation: b Department of Internal Medicine , American University of Beirut Medical Center , Riad El Solh , Beirut , Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taher
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D015995:Prevalence; D059039:Standard of Care
keywords: Anemia in the elderly; anemia; anemia of chronic disease; anemia of chronic kidney disease; iron deficiency anemia; unexplained anemia