Many elderly people may have undiagnosed anemia, and doctorsshould know that the higher prevalence in this age group is notnecessarily a normal sign of aging, a new study suggests.
Anemia is one of the most common signs of underlying disease,and doctors who spot anemia should look for any stomach or intestinalbleeding that could be causing the disorder, according to researchersfrom the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Anemia is characterized by a decrease in red blood cells, or inthe hemoglobin concentration of the blood, that is below a specified"normal" value. Hemoglobin is a compound found in red blood cellsthat carries oxygen to the cells.
In the study, published in the current issue of the journal MayoClinic Proceedings, the researchers studied the prevalence of anemiain residents of Olmsted County, Minn., as well as in a comparisongroup from outside the area.
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