Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Auricular Acupuncture as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Combined with Sleep Disorders
Published on: August 18, 2023
[High frequency of anemia in COPD patients admitted in a tertiary hospital]
1Departamento de Pneumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. karisoe@yahoo.es
Introduction:
Anemia is related to chronic and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, it is a factor of worse outcome in heart failure or myocardial infarction. Despite the importance of hemoglobin as a globular oxygen carrying protein, there are few studies on anemia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Objective:
To determine the frequency and the characteristics of the anemia in COPD patients admitted to a tertiary hospital within a one year period.
Methods:
Anthropometric and clinical data, tobacco habit, lung function tests, arterial blood gases and a basic study of anemia (BSA) were collected from digital clinical files.
Results:
A total of 177 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 70 (range 44-95), FEV1 was 35 (15%) and hemoglobin (Hb) 136(22) g/dl. Sixty-six (37%) patients had chronic respiratory failure (CRF) and 59 (33%) were receiving long-term oxygen therapy. A total of 56 (31%) had anemia (Hb < 130 g/dl in men or < 120 g/dl in women) with a mean Hb of 111(13). Anemia was normocytic normochromic in 32 cases (58%). BSA was obtained in 24 patients (42.85%) and showed that 10 patients (41%) had anemia of chronic disease, 6 patients (25%) had iron deficiency and 8 (34%) had other causes. It should be mentioned that 35 patients (53%) had CRF had anemia but only 8 patients had erythrocytosis (4.5%).
Conclusion:
Anemia was frequent in these patients and was an underdiagnosed comorbidity.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...

