Haemoglobin levels in a group of over 75-year-old patients studied in general practice.

Abstract

In a survey carried out in general practice, 297 patients over 75 years of age were seen and examined. The haemoglobin levels of 282 of these patients were estimated. The overall mean haemoglobin level was 89% (100% = 14.8 g/l00 ml blood); 6% of men and 19 % of the women had haemoglobin levels under 80 %. Defining anaemia as a haemoglobin of less than 85 %, those who were anaemic were looked at from the point of view of age, sex, marital state and social class, whether they were living alone and what effect their anaemia had on their overall health. Social class seemed to have no effect on the level of anaemia but the percentage is much higher in women than in men. Anaemia was more common in single and widowed persons of both sexes. There was a marked number of patients living alone who were anaemic and this group is particularly vulnerable. As was to be expected, there was an increased degree of anaemia amongst patients in the poorer health groups.