Iron-Restricted Erythropoiesis in a Population of Elderly Hospitalized Anemic Patients

The aim of this observational study was to assess the prevalence of iron-restricted erythropoiesis (IRE) in a population of elderly hospitalized anemic patients. Prevalence of IRE was found to be 41% and the most common clinical diagnoses in such patients were hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Comparison between patients with IRE and non-IRE patients revealed that mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, iron, and transferrin saturation were significantly lower in the IRE group, whereas no significant difference was found for Hb, transferrin, or ferritin. There was a more pronounced inflammatory response in the IRE group demonstrated by a higher C-reactive protein level.