TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of Anemia in Medical Practice
T2 - Community Versus Referral Patients
AU - ANIA, BASILIO J.
AU - SUMAN, VERA J.
AU - FAIRBANKS, VIRGIL F.
AU - MELTON, L. JOSEPH
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by Grant AR 30582 from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service. Dr. Anía was supported in part by an award (BAE 92/5062) from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria of the Spanish Ministry of Health.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - To compare the prevalence of anemia among community and referral patients. A Mayo Clinic laboratory database was searched for hemoglobin determinations between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1989, in residents and nonresidents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who were 20 years of age or older (a more restricted period within this interval was used for those 70 years of age or older). Using the World Health Organization criteria for anemia, we estimated the prevalence of anemia as of July 1, 1987, among Olmsted County residents 20 years of age or older (community patients) and compared this finding with the prevalence among non-Olmsted County patients of the same age registered at the Mayo Clinic during the same year (referral patients). The crude prevalence of anemia among Olmsted County men was less than that among male referral patients, but this difference was decreased by adjusting for the older mean age of referral patients (6.6% versus 7.0%; P = 0.01). Even after age-adjustment, the prevalence of anemia was greater among community women than among female referral patients (12.4% versus 8.2%; P<0.001). Before age 55 years, the prevalence of anemia was lower among men than among women, but after that age, anemia became more frequent in men, reaching a 44.4% prevalence among community men 85 years of age or older. The overall prevalence rate was sensitive to the criteria used to define a low hemoglobin level, however. Clinicians should be aware of the high prevalence of anemia, especially among elderly community patients. This precaution should help minimize the overlooked diagnosis of anemia and the failure to identify and treat its underlying cause.
AB - To compare the prevalence of anemia among community and referral patients. A Mayo Clinic laboratory database was searched for hemoglobin determinations between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1989, in residents and nonresidents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who were 20 years of age or older (a more restricted period within this interval was used for those 70 years of age or older). Using the World Health Organization criteria for anemia, we estimated the prevalence of anemia as of July 1, 1987, among Olmsted County residents 20 years of age or older (community patients) and compared this finding with the prevalence among non-Olmsted County patients of the same age registered at the Mayo Clinic during the same year (referral patients). The crude prevalence of anemia among Olmsted County men was less than that among male referral patients, but this difference was decreased by adjusting for the older mean age of referral patients (6.6% versus 7.0%; P = 0.01). Even after age-adjustment, the prevalence of anemia was greater among community women than among female referral patients (12.4% versus 8.2%; P<0.001). Before age 55 years, the prevalence of anemia was lower among men than among women, but after that age, anemia became more frequent in men, reaching a 44.4% prevalence among community men 85 years of age or older. The overall prevalence rate was sensitive to the criteria used to define a low hemoglobin level, however. Clinicians should be aware of the high prevalence of anemia, especially among elderly community patients. This precaution should help minimize the overlooked diagnosis of anemia and the failure to identify and treat its underlying cause.
KW - CI
KW - WHO
KW - World Health Organization
KW - confidence interval
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028031269&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028031269&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0025-6196(12)61089-1
DO - 10.1016/S0025-6196(12)61089-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 8035626
AN - SCOPUS:0028031269
SN - 0025-6196
VL - 69
SP - 730
EP - 735
JO - Mayo Clinic proceedings
JF - Mayo Clinic proceedings
IS - 8
ER -