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Revision as of 22:25, 10 September 2002 by Imran (talk | contribs) (article based on PD NIH page)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. Anemia occurs when the amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin (oxygen-carrying protein in the blood) in the blood becomes low, causing the tissues of the body to be deprived of oxygen-rich blood. It is characterized by a reduction in size, number, or color of red blood cells (RBC) which results in reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The blood of an anemic person has trouble carrying oxygen to tissues and organs, in a sense, become "starved" of oxygen and without oxygen, the tissues cannot produce energy to function. In order for the body to stay healthy, organs and tissues need a steady supply of oxygen.
There are several kinds of anemia produced by a variety of underlying causes, but the most common and most severe type of anemia, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). Just as the name implies, this form of anemia is due to insufficient iron. In the United States, 20% of all women of childbearing age have iron-deficiency anemia, compared with only 2% of adult men. The principal cause of iron-deficiency anemia in premenopausal women is blood lost during menses.
Other common causes of anemia include: eating inadequate amounts of iron-rich foods, a deficiency of Vitamin B-12, a deficiency of folic acid, or poor iron absorption by the body.
When the body has sufficient iron to meet its needs (functional iron), the remainder is stored for later use in the bone marrow, liver, and spleen. Iron-deficiency ranges from iron depletion, which yields no physiological damage, to iron-deficiency anemia, which can affect the function of numerous organ systems. Iron-depletion causes the amount of stored iron to be reduced, but has no affect on the functional iron. However, a person with no stored iron has no reserves to use if the body requires more iron. In essence, the amount of iron absorbed by the body is not adequate for growth and development or to replace the amount lost. Iron-deficiency anemia is the final stage of iron deficiency.