[Frequency and etiology of anemia in patients over the age of 70 (author's transl)]. / Fréquence et étiologie des anémies chez les personnes âgées de plus de 70 ans. Etude de 1 726 sujets.

The study of 1 726 patients living in homes for the aged, or hospitalized shows that 20% of them have anemia. There is no increase in prevalence of the disease in females. A wide variety of mechanisms may cause anemia. However, chronic bleeding of essentially digestive origin is the most common. Several anemia-causing factors are particularly frequent in the aged: bleeding, inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, bone marrow failure. Diagnosis is complicated and may require examinations which are not always easily accepted by the aged.