Anemia and iron status in the free-living and institutionalized elderly in Kentucky

A study of the iron status and anemia in 101 elderly persons, age 60 to 95, included 50 free-living and 51 institutionalized subjects. Daily iron intakes and biochemical parameters including hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), plasma iron levels and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were determined. In the free-living group, only 4% male and 8% female subjects had iron-deficiency anemia. Whereas about 40% of the institutionalized group had iron deficiency anemia with low hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCHC, plasma iron levels, and elevated TIBC. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCHC and plasma iron levels were significantly higher, and TIBC was significantly lower in the free-living group than the institutionalized group. The lack of correlation between dietary iron intakes and plasma iron levels suggest that iron deficiency anemia in these elderly subjects was not due to lack of iron intakes. The possible causes might be medications and diseases in these elderly subjects.