Yonsei Med J.  2011 Nov;52(6):909-913. 10.3349/ymj.2011.52.6.909.

Anemia in Elderly Koreans

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jonghwa@yuhs.ac

Abstract

Recently, the geriatric population in Korea has grown to comprise approximately 10% of the total population, and anemia has become a significant problem among elderly patients. Many elderly patients have anemia due to nutritional deficiency, chronic inflammation, or comorbid diseases; however, in a significant fraction of the patients with anemia, the cause remains obscure. Anemia of any degree is recognized as a significant independent contributor to morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. This article summarizes the patterns of anemia in Korean geriatric patients.

Keyword

Anemia; Korean elderly; anemia pattern

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anemia/complications/diagnosis/*epidemiology
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Humans
Korea/epidemiology
Male

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