Anaemia

Anaemia is a condition in which an individual’s haemoglobin concentration and/or red blood cell numbers are lower than normal, most commonly affecting young children and pregnant women, developing due to an imbalance in erythrocyte loss and production. Nutritional deficiencies, inflammation and genetic haemoglobin disorders can contribute to ineffective erythrocyte production, while haemolysis and blood loss can contribute to excessive loss of erythrocytes. The leading cause of anaemia is iron deficiency, which occurs in 15% of the population. When caused by nutritional deficiencies, common treatments for anaemia involve the administration of the nutritional supplements iron and vitamin B12. However, the impact of these nutritional supplements can vary due to the bioavailability and absorption from different nutrient supplement preparations. Blood transfusions, bone marrow transplants and immunosuppressant drugs are treatment options for patients for whom red blood cell production is affected by causes other than nutritional deficiencies, such as autoimmune disorders.