Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia in the Elderly by Transferrin Receptor–Ferritin Index

Abstract

ANEMIA IS a common clinical problem at all ages, especially among the elderly. Its prevalence among adults older than 70 years is about 2%,¹ and this rises to 28% in men 85 years and older.² Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) accounts for about half of these cases.³ In industrialized nations, IDA is rarely due to dietary deficiency.³ Gastrointestinal tract abnormality can be identified in more than half of elderly patients with IDA, including gastric tumors, colonic polyps, and carcinoma of the colon.⁴ Thus, the presence of IDA in the elderly demands investigation of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. However, x-ray or gastroscopy/colonoscopy investigation in the elderly involves great inconvenience and hazardous complications.⁵ Therefore, an accurate assay for IDA in elderly patients with high specificity and sensitivity is mandatory.