Causes of anaemia in old age
The causes of anaemia in old age are basically little different from the causes of anaemia at any other age. However, the frequencies of the underlying cause are distributed differently. 1 In most cases, deficiency causes anaemia in old age.
Typically there are problems in the diet (unbalanced diet or too little food intake) which lead to a deficiency of iron, folic acid or vitamin B12. However, the body needs all these components in order to continue producing red blood pigment and red blood cells. A deficiency of these substances can therefore lead to anaemia.
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia in old age. The reasons for iron deficiency are many and varied. For example, a reduced supply of iron (most frequently in a vegetarian/vegan diet, but also in cases of basic malnutrition) can be the reason for iron deficiency.
Reduced absorption in the digestive tract due to stomach or intestinal diseases can also cause iron deficiency. Anaemia is less frequent in old age due to an increased iron requirement (typical for athletes, growing children, pregnant women). On the other hand, iron losses due to chronic bleeding in the digestive tract become particularly common in old age.
For this reason, in the case of anaemia in old age with low iron levels, a detailed examination of the gastrointestinal tract (gastroscopy, colonoscopy, test for hidden blood in the stool) should be carried out. Cancer is one of many causes that can be responsible for anaemia in old age. Other causes of anaemia such as chronic diseases or bleeding from the gastro-intestinal tract occur significantly more frequently.
However, chronic bleeding can also indicate a benign or malignant tumour in the stomach or colon. For this reason, regular bowel cancer screening with a test for hidden blood in the stool is a sensible measure, for example. Anemia in old age is much less often an indication of diseases of the haematopoietic system.
However, cancer (leukaemia) can also occur in this area in old age. Anemia in old age can be an indication of cancer. As a preventive measure, a test for hidden blood in the stool is carried out annually from the age of 50.
We also recommend our page on: Bowel cancer screening – You should know! We also recommend our page on: Colon Cancer Prevention – You Should Know!
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