Profile Anemia

About research

Anemias are common diseases among the population. The main reasons for their occurrence include:

• Iron deficiency. It is most often caused by an insufficient amount in the diet, malabsorption of the digestive tract. Deficiency of this element prevents the synthesis of hemoglobin (a protein that carries oxygen to tissues) in erythrocytes, which significantly impairs the tolerance of physical exertion. Complementary and effective treatment is possible.
• Deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12. They appear with an unbalanced vegan diet, chronic alcoholism, the presence of inflammatory processes in the digestive tract and after operations. Deficiency of these vitamins affects the synthesis of genetic material and disrupts the functioning of cells.
• Chronic inflammation caused by bacterial, parasitic, fungal infections, malignant tumors, autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, chronic urinary tract infections. During it, the production of erythrocytes in the bone marrow decreases, their blood life time is shorter, and the exchange of iron is disturbed. In the treatment of this type of anemia, the most important thing is to eliminate the underlying disease.

The aim of the study

The studies included in the profile were selected to determine the presence of risk factors that may cause anemia. For example:

• Iron level violation (ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor). With iron deficiency, the amount of hemoglobin in erythrocytes decreases, as a result of which their size and number decrease. In this type of anemia, there is also a lower concentration of iron stored in the form of ferritin. However, the result of its measurement can be affected by the presence of inflammation in the body (it grows as an acute phase protein), so in such situations it is more reliable to check the level of the soluble transferrin receptor, which is less dependent on various diseases.
• Vitamins deficiency (vitamin B12, folic acid). With a deficiency of these two groups of compounds, the amount of hemoglobin in the blood cell also decreases, but as a result of the disrupted process of genetic material synthesis deposited in the nucleus, its size increases. These vitamins affect not only the maturation process of erythrocyte precursors, but also the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems, so their deficiency can manifest itself in additional symptoms.
• Presence of inflammation (CRP). The frequency of anemia in chronic diseases increases with age and can be characterized by a decrease in the number of erythrocytes not only in the blood, but also in the bone marrow. An increase in CRP (a marker of inflammation) can also be accompanied by an increase in the concentration of ferritin - the body has a lower need for iron, which is manifested by a decrease in its circulating pool in the blood, but an increase in tissue reserves. The symptoms of this anemia often coincide with the symptoms of the underlying disease.

This complex is recommended for diagnosing and differentiating various causes and types of anemia, monitoring the effectiveness of their treatment, especially in patients:

• in older age
• after part of the digestive tract removing
• with chronic inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract
• with other concomitant diseases (for example, cancer, immunodeficiencies)
• with bone marrow dysfunction (for example, after chemotherapy, radiation therapy
• for chronic alcoholics
• for vegans, vegetarians