Why would a post menopausal woman be anemic?
Recently, findings from a large national research study, called the Women’s Health Initiative, showed that postmenopausal women may be at increased risk for anemia. Although there are many causes of anemia, iron deficiency is often the culprit and a diet poor in iron is frequently the underlying cause.
What causes anemia in a 60 year old woman?
The two most common causes are chronic diseases (such as ulcers, liver or kidney disease, hypothyroidism, inflammation of the stomach or intestines, and cancer) and iron deficiency. Deficiencies in vitamin B12 or folate are not as common. Certain medications can also contribute to anemia.
What is the most common cause of anemia in women?
Iron deficiency anemia. This most common type of anemia is caused by a shortage of iron in your body. Your bone marrow needs iron to make hemoglobin. Without adequate iron, your body can’t produce enough hemoglobin for red blood cells. Without iron supplementation, this type of anemia occurs in many pregnant women.
What is a normal iron level for a postmenopausal woman?
The normal serum iron level for women is 60 mcg/dL to 140 mcg/dL. Total iron-binding capacity is 250 mcg/dL to 450 mcg/dL.
Can low estrogen cause low iron?
These results suggest that estrogen deficiency up-regulates hepcidin, which inhibits intestinal iron absorption, leading to lower serum iron levels, as well as prevents iron release from adipocytes by increasing iron levels in the local adipose.
What causes anemia in elderly females?
In elderly people, anemia can often be caused by an underlying disease such as cancer or kidney failure or by treatments for these diseases. Poor nutrition is a less common cause among the elderly, and no cause can be identified in about 30% of cases.
Is anemia common during menopause?
Iron deficiency is common, especially in pre-menopausal women who lose blood during menstruation. In fact, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 20% of women under 50 are iron deficient.
Can you have iron deficiency after menopause?
In postmenopausal women, iron-deficiency anemia most often results from some sort of gastrointestinal tract bleeding. This type of bleeding may occur as a result of many factors, including hemorrhoids, diseases like peptic ulcer disease, and certain types of cancers.
Which endocrine disorders can cause anemia?
Anemia is also a direct consequence of thyroid hormone deficiency; thyroid hormones have been shown to potentiate the effect of erythropoietin on erythroid colony formation.
What cancers cause low iron?
In a study published in July 2013 in the Annals of Oncology, iron deficiency was most commonly seen in people with pancreatic cancer (present in 63 percent of participants), followed by colorectal cancer (52 percent) and lung cancer (51 percent).