Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia (GDA)

Iron deficiency anemia (GDA) is one of the most common diseases in the world^[1] According to data, in Rosstat 2021 this diagnosis Russia was made to 1.5 million people. People of any sex and age may encounter this condition, but women of reproductive age, pregnant women, the elderly, as well as patients suffering from gastroenterological problems that increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, are at increased risk of developing iron deficiency and GDA.

Women of reproductive age experience anemia particularly frequently. The risk of its appearance increases in those who suffer from abundant and abnormal uterine bleeding - among such women, anemia is detected in every second.

"According to the WHO, anaemia is detected in one in five women of reproductive age. This is a global problem that needs attention and solution. Prevention of deficiency of iron is required not only during pregnancy, but also at a stage of preparation for it and also throughout all reproductive period", - Igor Ivanovich Baranov, MD professor, the head of department of scientific educational programs of Federal State Budgetary Institution NMIC AGP im. V. I. Kulakova of the Russian Ministry of Health, the vice president of ROAG said in April, 2025.

With age, the likelihood of anemia increases regardless of gender. It has been proven that in older people this risk increases by 4% annually.

"Coping with iron deficiency in older people is not easy - they often have a reduced appetite, not very diverse diet. Because of cognitive impairment, they are less committed to treatment. In addition, comorbidity often requires the use of other drugs, the interaction with which should not interfere with the absorption of iron.

The reasons for the prevalence of ZHA lie not only in physiological factors, but also in lifestyle. Unbalanced eating, popular restrictive diets, especially among women, and a lack of public awareness of the symptoms and risks of iron deficiency exacerbate the situation.

Another problem faced by patients with ZHA is adverse events and poor tolerability of iron drugs.

"Prescribing iron to patients with gastrointestinal problems is necessary, but it is important that taking drugs with it does not cause side effects that worsen their condition even more. It has been proven that the appearance of undesirable effects - nausea, abdominal pain - largely depends on the form: taking iron in the form of bisglycinate causes half as many side effects as taking iron sulfate, "- cited Igor Gennadievich Bakulin, MD, Professor, Head of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Gastroenterology and Dietetics named after S.M. Ryssa SZGMU named after I.I. Mechnikov, chief freelance therapist of the North-Western Federal District, chief freelance gastroenterologist of the Leningrad Region.

The use of bioactive supplements containing lower doses of iron with high bioavailability due to chelate form may be a justified strategy for preventing iron deficiency in various categories of patients.

Renal anemia

Main article: Renal (nephrogenic) anemia

Renal (nephrogenic) anemia - a decrease in renal function in chronic renal failure leads to a lack of erythropoietin, resulting in an insufficient amount of red blood cells. As a result, there is a decrease in the ability of the blood to tolerate sufficient oxygen. Read more here.

Chronicle

2021: The number of people with anemia in the world has grown over the past 30 years

A quarter of the world's population is anaemic, with cases rising rapidly among women, expectant mothers, young girls and children under the age of 5. This is stated in a study by the American Institute for the Study of Health Metrics in Seattle (IHME), the results of which were released on July 31, 2023.

Anemia is a pathological clinical and hematological syndrome that is accompanied by a decrease in the content of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the circulating blood. This ailment is characterized by impaired oxygen transport and the development of hypoxia. It is said that in 2021, 1.92 billion people worldwide suffered from anemia. Compared to 1990, the number of such diagnoses increased by 420 million.

The number of people with anemia in the world has grown over the past 30 years

Globally, 31.2% of women had anemia in 2021, compared with 17.5% of men. Gender differences are more pronounced in reproductive age - from 15 to 49 years. In this age group, the prevalence of anemia in women was 33.7% versus 11.3% in men.

The main cause of anemia in 2021 was iron deficiency in food: this factor accounted for 66.2% of the total number of cases. Worldwide, 825 million women and 444 million men suffer from anemia. Gynecological diseases and maternal bleeding are important factors in the development of anemia among women of reproductive age, the study found. In children younger than 5 years, the main cause of anemia is iron deficiency in food, but various infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria also provoke the development of the disease.

In 2021, the highest prevalence of anemia was noted in sub-Saharan West Africa (47.4%), South Asia (35.7%) and Central Africa (35.7%). The regions with the lowest levels of anemia are (Australia 5.7%), Western (6 Europe %), and North America (6.8%). Russia This figure decreased from 18% in 1990 to 15% in 2021, and only 0.3% of the population of the Russian Federation suffers from severe forms of anemia.^[2]

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