The blood disorder is quite common, with about 3 million Americans affected, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
How Anemia Affects Your Health
When someone is anemic, the body doesn’t get the oxygen that it needs. If anemia is unrecognized and untreated, serious damage can occur in the organs. According to the American Society of Hematology, symptoms of anemia include:
Generalized weaknessFatigueDifficulty catching your breathChest pain or discomfortFast or abnormal heartbeatFeeling cold all the time, especially in the hands and feetNumbness in the hands and feetPale appearanceIrritable moodProblems concentrating or performing at your job or in classFrequent headaches or dizziness
Anemia can also exacerbate issues with the heart and lead to worse outcomes in people with heart troubles.
What Causes Anemia?
While there are different types of anemia, they all are due to the same underlying problems — insufficient red blood cells or lack of hemoglobin. According to the NHLBI, common causes of anemia include:
Insufficient iron in the bloodAn inherited blood conditionLack of vitamins like B12, iron, and folateAnother illness (like kidney disease or cancer)Rapid blood loss (due to recent surgery, heavy periods, or a bleeding ulcer)
Different Types of Anemia
According to the Cleveland Clinic, different types of anemia include:
Iron-Deficiency Anemia Frequently diagnosed, iron-deficiency anemia is due to a lack of iron, which is critical for the body’s production of hemoglobin.Sickle Cell Anemia This is an inherited condition in which red blood cells are misshapen, or “sickle” shaped. The abnormal shape of the red blood cells causes them to be more fragile and less effective at delivering oxygen to the tissues.Thalassemia A genetic disorder that runs in families. In thalassemia, the body doesn’t make enough red blood cells or hemoglobin.Megaloblastic Anemia Megaloblastic red blood cells are produced when the body doesn’t get enough vitamin B12 or folate. These red blood cells are bigger than normal cells but do not transport hemoglobin as efficiently.Hemolytic Anemia Red blood cells are rapidly removed from the bloodstream. Infections, medication, and diseases of the immune system can all lead to this type of anemia. Hemolytic anemia can also occur after blood transfusions.
Are You at Risk for Anemia?
These risk factors increase the likelihood of developing anemia, according to the Mayo Clinic:
Family history of anemia or other blood disordersDiet lacking in iron, folate, and vitamin B12Age: the older you get, the more likely you’ll develop the blood disorderLoss of blood following surgery or injury, or blood loss from heavy menstruationPregnancy if you are not taking a multivitamin with folic acid and ironChronic illness, including diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid problems, and kidney diseaseAlcoholism
Anemia Can Be Hard on the Heart
When left untreated, anemia takes a toll on the body — particularly the heart. “Because anemia can often mean that there is less oxygen being carried by the blood cells and delivered to the body, anemia can result in a decrease in oxygen supply to the heart that can contribute to coronary disease and risk of heart attacks,” says Carine Hamo, MD, an assistant professor in the department of medicine in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone Health in New York City. In one study published in August 2021 in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine researchers looked at 960 patients with coronary artery disease to learn more about how anemia affects the outcomes of heart disease. Seventeen percent of the study participants had anemia, which was associated with worse disease severity, worse heart function, and more adverse events, such as heart attack and stroke. In another study, published in 2021 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers examined the relationship between anemia and health outcomes after stroke. The researchers studied more than 14,000 people in the year after they suffered a stroke and found that those with anemia had a higher risk of death. The body’s response to anemia may also result in increased thickness of the heart muscle and enlargement of the heart over time that can ultimately lead to the development of heart failure, Dr. Hamo says. Anemia, particularly iron-deficiency anemia, is quite common in patients with heart failure, she notes, with incidence rates ranging from 30 percent among those who are stable and up to 50 percent among those hospitalized for heart failure, according to research published in 2018 in the journal Circulation.
Diagnosing, Treating, and Preventing Anemia
Several simple blood tests can be used to diagnose anemia, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your doctor will perform a complete blood count (CBC) to determine how much hemoglobin there is in your blood. A CBC is also useful because it shows whether your other blood cell levels (white blood cells and platelets) are low. This information can help your doctor identify the source of your anemia. Iron, vitamin B12, and folate levels are also usually checked in the process of diagnosing anemia. If your doctor thinks that you might have an inherited form of anemia, a special test called hemoglobin electrophoresis may also be performed. This test reveals the specific types of hemoglobin in your blood and can help diagnose conditions such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, according to MedlinePlus. Treatment for anemia will depend on the type and cause. For people with heart failure and iron-deficiency anemia, current American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines call for intravenous iron replacement therapy. This recommendation is based on several clinical trials demonstrating improvement in quality of life and functional status with this therapy, Hamo notes. It’s sometimes possible to prevent anemia, particularly the forms that are caused by vitamin deficiencies. Here are some tips to help decrease your risk of anemia:
Eat foods rich in iron like spinach, lean red meats, beans, lentils, iron-fortified cereal and bread, liver, oysters, tofu, fish, and dried fruit.Get lots of vitamin C to help your body absorb iron more effectively.Skip coffee and tea with your meals, since they can interfere with iron absorption.
Finally, if you experience symptoms of anemia or have risk factors for anemia, talk to your doctor about getting regular screening tests to check your hemoglobin and red blood cell count. Early diagnosis and prevention of anemia will not only help you feel better faster but also improve your heart health. Additional reporting by Ashley Welch.
