 |
 |

A Prospective Study of Anemia Status, Hemoglobin Concentration, and Mortality in an Elderly Cohort
The Cardiovascular Health Study
Neil A. Zakai, MD;
Ronit Katz, PhD;
Calvin Hirsch, MD;
Michael G. Shlipak, MD, MPH;
Paulo H. M. Chaves, MD, PhD;
Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH;
Mary Cushman, MD, MSc
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:2214-2220.
Background Anemia is viewed as a negative prognostic factor in the elderly population; its independent impact on survival is unclear.
Methods Baseline hemoglobin quintiles and anemia, as defined by the World Health Organization criteria, were assessed in relation to mortality in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a prospective cohort study with 11.2 years of follow-up of 5888 community-dwelling men and women 65 years or older, enrolled in 1989-1990 or 1992-1993 in 4 US communities.
Results A total of 1205 participants were in the lowest hemoglobin quintile (<13.7 g/dL for men; <12.6 g/dL for women), and 498 (8.5%) were anemic (<13 g/dL for men; <12 g/dL for women). A reverse J-shaped relationship with mortality was observed; age-, sex-, and race-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval [CI]) in the first and fifth quintiles, compared with the fourth quintile, were 1.42 (95% CI, 1.25-1.62) and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.09-1.42). After multivariate adjustment, these hazard ratios were 1.33 (95% CI, 1.15-1.54) and 1.17 (95% CI, 1.01-1.36). The demographic- and fully-adjusted hazard ratios of anemia for mortality were 1.57 (95% CI, 1.38-1.78) and 1.38 (95% CI, 1.19-1.54). Adjustment for causes and consequences of anemia (renal function, inflammation, or frailty) did not reduce associations.
Conclusions Lower and higher hemoglobin concentrations and anemia by World Health Organization criteria were independently associated with increased mortality. The World Health Organization criteria did not identify risk as well as a lower hemoglobin value. Additional study is needed on the clinically valid definition for and causes of anemia in the elderly and on the increased mortality at the extremes of hemoglobin concentrations.
Author Affiliations: Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington (Drs Zakai and Cushman); Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI (Dr Zakai); Collaborative Health Studies Coordinating Center, University of Washington, Seattle (Dr Katz); Departments of Medicine and Public Health Science, Davis Medical Center, University of California, Sacramento (Dr Hirsch); Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (Dr Shlipak); Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, Md (Dr Chaves); and Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa (Dr Newman).
Group Members: A full list of participating Cardiovascular Health Study investigators and institutions can be found at http://www.chs-nhlbi.org.
CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati Twitter
What's this?
RELATED ARTICLES
Anemia in the Elderly: Time for New Blood in Old Vessels?
Jerry L. Spivak
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(19):2187-2189.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Renal Function, Erythropoietin, and Anemia of Older Persons: The InCHIANTI Study
Alessandro Ble, Jeffrey C. Fink, Richard C. Woodman, Mark A. Klausner, B. Gwen Windham, Jack M. Guralnik, and Luigi Ferrucci
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(19):2222-2227.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The Impact of Anemia on Energy and Physical Functioning in Individuals With AIDS
Richard D. Semba, Barbara K. Martin, John H. Kempen, Jennifer E. Thorne, Albert W. Wu, and for the Studies of the Ocular Complications of AIDS Research Group
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(19):2229-2236.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Anemia and Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure: A Study From the National Heart Care Project
Mikhail Kosiborod, Jeptha P. Curtis, Yongfei Wang, Grace L. Smith, Frederick A. Masoudi, JoAnne M. Foody, Edward P. Havranek, and Harlan M. Krumholz
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(19):2237-2244.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
 |
Exploration of anaemia as a progression factor in African Americans with cardiovascular disease
Newsome et al.
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2009;24:3404-3411.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Relationship between baseline haemoglobin and major bleeding complications in acute coronary syndromes
Bassand et al.
Eur Heart J 2009;0:ehp401v1-ehp401.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Impact of different diagnostic thresholds and the anaemia-ferritin-transferrin receptor model on the prevalence of anaemia and impaired iron status in older people
Tull et al.
Age Ageing 2009;38:609-613.
FULL TEXT
Effect of anemia and comorbidity on functional status and mortality in old age: results from the Leiden 85-plus Study
den Elzen et al.
CMAJ 2009;181:151-157.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Prevalence, incidence, and prognostic value of anaemia in patients after an acute myocardial infarction: data from the OPTIMAAL trial
Anker et al.
Eur Heart J 2009;30:1331-1339.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Review: anaemia increases mortality risk in patients with chronic heart failure
Tranmer
Evid. Based Nurs. 2009;12:58-58.
FULL TEXT
Correlates of Anemia in American Blacks and Whites: The REGARDS Renal Ancillary Study
Zakai et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2009;169:355-364.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Prognostic implications of anemia in older adults
Patel and Guralnik
haematol 2009;94:1-2.
FULL TEXT
Association of mild anemia with hospitalization and mortality in the elderly: the Health and Anemia population-based study
Riva et al.
haematol 2009;94:22-28.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Variability and heritability of hemoglobin concentration: an opportunity to improve understanding of anemia in older adults
Patel
haematol 2008;93:1281-1283.
FULL TEXT
A Population-Based Study of Hemoglobin, Race, and Mortality in Elderly Persons
Dong et al.
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 2008;63:873-878.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Impact of Hemoglobin on Plasma Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Concentrations in the General Population
Nybo et al.
Clin. Chem. 2007;53:1921-1927.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Anemia in the Elderly: How Should We Define It, When Does It Matter, and What Can Be Done?
Steensma and Tefferi
Mayo Clin Proc. 2007;82:958-966.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes of the European Society of Cardiology
Authors/Task Force Members et al.
Eur Heart J 2007;28:1598-1660.
FULL TEXT
Racial variation in the relationship of anemia with mortality and mobility disability among older adults
Patel et al.
Blood 2007;109:4663-4670.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Frail Older Adults and Palliative Care
Bower
JAMA 2007;297:1194-1194.
FULL TEXT
Palliative Management of Fatigue at the Close of Life: "It Feels Like My Body Is Just Worn Out"
Yennurajalingam and Bruera
JAMA 2007;297:295-304.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The quest for the normal hemoglobin concentration.
Boehringer et al.
Blood 2006;108:777-778.
FULL TEXT
Impact of anemia on hospitalization and mortality in older adults
Culleton et al.
Blood 2006;107:3841-3846.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Anemia Associated with Increased Mortality Risk in Elders
Journal Watch Cardiology 2005;2005:4-4.
FULL TEXT
Anemia in the Elderly: Time for New Blood in Old Vessels?
Spivak
Arch Intern Med 2005;165:2187-2189.
FULL TEXT
|