Incidentally Detected Anaemia in Elderly: A Cross-sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Introduction: Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is most prevalent nutritional deficiency observed worldwide. The elderly population is particularly susceptible. It is a significant risk factor for increased mortality and morbidity, reducing mobility and quality of life. Currently less Indian data is available for incidentally detected anaemia in elderly. The known causes of anaemia in elderly are nutritional, anaemia of chronic disease and malignancy. Aim: To evaluate the haematological profile and to identify potential aetiologies of anaemia in elderly who had an incidental diagnosis of anaemia. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study, which included 90 incidentally diagnosed patients with anaemia above 60 years of age, admitted in Bharati Hospital and Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India during March 2021 to September 2022. Complete Blood Counts (CBCs) with peripheral blood smear, Haematocrit (Hct), reticulocyte counts, Red Blood Cells (RBC) indices like Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and cell morphology were all examined for each patient. The statistical programme Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 26.0) was used to analyse the data. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the qualitative parameters. Results: The mean age was 66.44±5.87 years; 52 (57.8%) were men, and 38 (42.2%) were women. The most prevalent co-morbid conditions were diabetes and hypertension. The common clinical signs observed were pallor, oedema, knuckle pigmentation. In this study, IDA was the most frequent aetiology 53 (58.9%), second being megaloblastic anaemia 24 (26.7%), followed by dimorphic anaemia 13 (14.4%). Gastritis was commonest finding on gastroscopy. Conclusion: Anaemia is a common finding amongst elderly population which remains undiagnosed and is ignored. The main cause is nutritional deficiency leading to IDA, megaloblastic anaemia or dimorphic anaemia. Hence, geriatric population should undergo regular screening for early recognition of anaemia. Further large population studies are required for detailed evaluation to determine the causes of anaemia in elderly.