Incidence and factors associated with anemia among the geriatric population at a tertiary care hospital in southern India

INTRODUCTION: Anaemia in geriatric populations poses challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Hence, this study was done to investigate the incidence of anemia among the geriatric population of South India. METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional study with 144 patients aged 65 years and above. Socio-demographic data and laboratory findings were recorded in a validated proforma format. Data were analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: 36.1% of the study population was anemic, and 63.9% were non-anemic. The prevalence of anemia was higher among females (36.36%) than males (35.82%). The prevalence of anemia was significantly correlated with advanced age (r=0.21; p <0.05) and female sex (r=0.25; p < 0.05). Thirty-six patients were mild anemic (69%), 13 had moderate (25%), and 3 (6%) had severe anemia. Nutritional anemia was most common (80%), followed by hemorrhagic anemia (18%) and hemolytic anemia (2%). Among the 52 patients who were anemic, the most common comorbidities associated were Type 2 diabetes mellitus (69.2%) and hypertension (53.8%). Liver diseases were present in 5 cases (9.62%), renal insufficiency in 14 cases (26.9%), hypercholesterolemia in 5 cases (9.62%), and 6 cases (11.5%) were associated with other diseases. All the patients were managed conservatively with treatment, and anemia improved in 36.5% of cases. CONCLUSION: Anaemia was frequently diagnosed in the studied geriatric population. Nutritional deficiencies were the most common cause, followed by hemorrhagic and hemolytic anemia. The impact of anemia on quality of life, recovery from illness, and functional abilities must be further investigated in future geriatric studies.