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Abstract
BackgroundAnemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality in older people. However, the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in older individuals are not fully understood, and national data on these aspects in older Korean adults are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in older adults using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), which is a nationwide cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare.MethodsData from a total of 62,825 participants of the 2007–2016 KNHANES were compiled and analyzed to investigate differences in participant characteristics and potential risk factors for anemia. Differences in clinical characteristics of participants were compared across subgroups using the chi-square test for categorical variables and independent t-test for continuous variables. Univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were performed to identify related clinical factors.ResultsThe prevalence of anemia was higher in the population aged ≥65 years than in the younger population. Anemia was also more prevalent among females than among males, but this difference was not significant in people aged > 85 years. Being underweight, receiving a social allowance, living alone, and having comorbidities such as hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus (DM), cancer, and chronic renal failure (CRF) were more common among older adults with anemia than among the population without anemia. In univariate and multivariate analyses, older age, female sex, underweight, and presence of comorbidities including rheumatoid arthritis, DM, cancer, and CRF were associated with an increased risk of anemia.ConclusionsThis study revealed that age, female sex, underweight, and the presence of comorbidities such as rheumatoid arthritis, DM, cancer, and CRF were associated with an increased risk of anemia in older Korean adults. Further study on causal relationships between anemia and other variables in the older population is necessary.
Highlights
Anemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality in older people
This study aimed to evaluate the actual prevalence of anemia in older adults in South Korea and elucidate the burden of health problems related to anemia, using data from a large nationwide survey
The sampling method has changed from short-term cross-sectional sampling to circular sampling, which is a continuous method
Summary
Anemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality in older people. A previous epidemiological study in the U.S showed that anemia was prevalent in > 10% of people aged ≥65 years (older adults) and in > 20% of those aged ≥85 years [1]. Anemia in older people has been reported to be more prevalent in individuals who are residents of nursing homes and those who are hospitalized [3,4,5,6]. Anemia in the older population is reported to be related to various medical burdens, including increased morbidity and mortality [7]. Robins et al showed that anemia in older population possesses potential morbidity and mortality by affecting tissue oxygen delivery, accompanying the aging process, and eventually leading to multiple major and minor organ dysfunction, affecting both physical and mental functions [16]. Increasing prevalence of anemia in the older population will potentially increase the associated medical cost and social burden
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