Vnitr Lek 1975, 21(1):14-21

[Anemia in old people].

D Dieska, K Gocárová

In older age the incidence of anemia is more frequent, in patients over 15 years of age anemia was found in 16%, whereas in patients over 60 years of age in 22.5%. The study was done on hospitalized patients. In younger age groups anemic women were more numerous, in older patients on the contrary the majority of anemic patients were men. In both age groups anemia is mostly of a lighter form, but in the older age group a serous form of anemia is more frequent. The development of anemia is due in the first place to economic and social conditions, insufficient health and social care of old persons. The leading cause of anemia is malnutrition of the old, often immobile or mentally altered individuals. To consider the anemia in the old age as physiologic is questionable, as 77.5% of hospital admitted old individuals have no anemia. Anemia is often an early sign of an organic or systemic disease, being in this way an indication to a thorough clinical examination. The treatment should consist in therapy of the underlying disease, in the correlation of nutrition, substitution of nutritional and hemopoëtic factors and in increased care of old individuals.