Normal adult hemoglobin levels: 120-160 g/l for men and 110-150 g/l for women; normal values for red blood cells: (4.0-5.0) x 1012/l for men and (3.5-5.0) x 1012/l for women. Below the normal value, you should be anemic. Anemia is defined as a red blood cell count below 3.5 x 1012/L and a hemoglobin below 105g in the elderly.
Common causes of anemia in the elderly
1.As we age, the hematopoietic tissue in the bone marrow cavity gradually decreases, and the hematopoietic tissue of elderly people over 70 years old can be reduced by half, so anemia is more common in the elderly, with an incidence of 17%.
2. Insufficient testosterone secretion in elderly people can not stimulate the kidneys to produce enough erythropoietin, and in the absence of erythropoietin, the bone marrow cannot produce red blood cells normally and cause anemia, which is more obvious in elderly men. Patients with chronic renal failure, more lack of erythropoietin, there will certainly be varying degrees of anemia.
3, malnutrition, lack of raw materials for hematopoiesis. Iron is one of the main raw materials for hematopoiesis, and there are many reasons for iron deficiency in the elderly, such as: loose teeth, low food intake; reduced gastric acid, which reduces iron absorption; excessive tea drinking, which affects iron absorption; chronic blood loss due to hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and digestive tract cancer, which also causes G loss of iron, and “iron deficiency anemia”. Folic acid and vitamin B12 are also essential nutrients for hematopoiesis: partiality, dislike of green leafy vegetables, long-term alcoholism, sexual liver disease, and enteritis will lead to folic acid deficiency, causing “nutritional megaloblastic anemia”. Another cause of this kind of anemia is vitamin B12 deficiency: for example, atrophy of the stomach lining cells in the elderly, resulting in impaired absorption of vitamin B12; pancreatic insufficiency, or long-term use of antibacterial drugs, which affects the synthesis of vitamin B12 in the body; folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency, the bone marrow cannot produce normal red blood cells, and anemia will occur. This type of anemia is more common in men aged 65 to 70 years old and in women aged 60 to 65 years old.
4. The immune organs and their activity tend to decline in the elderly, which makes them prone to “autoimmune hemolytic anemia”.
5. “Chronic disease anemia”. For example, chronic infections (cholecystitis, chronic bronchitis, urinary tract infections and tuberculosis), inflammation, tumors, trauma, etc. can cause chronic disease anemia. If progressive anemia of unknown cause occurs, the possibility of malignant tumor must be considered. Even mild anemia should be carefully searched for causes.
Clinical manifestations of anemia in the elderly
Neurological: dizziness, weakness, tinnitus, balance disorders, even fainting and incontinence. Mental: agitation, apathy, forgetfulness, insomnia, and occasionally confusion, delusions and depression.
Cardiovascular system: panic, shortness of breath, often angina pectoris, which is a response to tissue hypoxia due to decreased blood oxygen levels; the heart may enlarge with a systolic murmur and also intermittent claudication.
Digestive system: there is often loss of appetite, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, linguitis, stomatitis, abnormal taste, and intermittent dysphagia in severe iron deficiency anemia.
Other: pale skin and conjunctiva. In case of megaloblastic anemia or pernicious anemia, hypothermia, mild S jaundice, splenomegaly, acute joint degeneration of the spinal cord and peripheral nerve degeneration are more common than in adults.
Treatment of anemia in the elderly
1.If you have iron deficiency anemia, you should take oral iron supplements.
2.Megaloblastic anemia should be supplemented with folic acid and vitamin B12, and the diet should be balanced.
3.Aplastic anemia is anemia of immune-related bone marrow hematopoietic failure. In addition to symptomatic treatment such as blood transfusion, immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine A should be taken. For patients with chronic renal failure or chronic disease anemia, genetically recombinant erythropoietin can be used.
4. For chronic disease anemia, the primary cause should be actively sought and treated for the cause.
Prevention of senile anemia: to ensure adequate nutrition. The danger of anemia to cardiovascular disease: the longer and more severe the anemia, the more damage to the heart. When the hemoglobin is below 9 grams, it will have an effect on the heart; when the hemoglobin is below 7 grams, it will significantly increase the burden on the heart.
Please remember the early diagnostic precursors.
1.When there is pallor of the face, nail bed and lips ;
2.Lack of energy and easy fatigue;
3, palpitations and dizziness even when there is little activity, especially obvious when there is a sudden change in position, etc.