Anemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Hematology

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects 13.1% globally, characterized by airflow limitation and inflammation.
• Anemia is linked to higher morbidity and prolonged hospital stays in various conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the association between all types of anemia and the progression of COPD.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of major electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, WOS, Cochrane) was conducted.
• Keywords included "anemia" and "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" (COPD).
• The search covered studies published up to February 2022.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 59 studies revealed anemia is associated with COPD exacerbation, increased hospitalizations, and long-term mortality.
• Iron deficiency (ID) is prevalent in COPD patients and correlates with elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure.

Conclusions:

• Anemia poses a life-threatening risk in COPD patients, even with manageable anemia.
• Consistent findings across studies highlight increased mortality, hospitalization, and reduced quality of life in anemic COPD patients.