Anaemia, Iron, and Vitamin D Deficiency in the Elderly: A Retrospective Review

Abstract

Aim: Anaemia, iron, and vitamin D deficiency are prevalent health problems in society. Nevertheless, the number of studies on the prevalence of vitamin D in the elderly is minimal. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D, anaemia, and iron deficiency in the elderly in Amasya Province. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively on the patient records of individuals aged 65 and over who applied to Amasya University Training and Research Hospital Internal Medicine Polyclinics between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2020. Information including age, gender, hemogram, vitamin D, and serum iron levels of the individuals, the status of any chronic disease, the date of application of the individual to the health institution, and the reason for the application was recorded in the data collection form to be used in the study. Results: 66.6% of the elderly individuals are female, and 33.4% are male. Anaemia was detected in 38.4% of the elderly, iron deficiency in 48.1%, and vitamin D severe deficiency in 40.7%. In elderly individuals, haemoglobin values were moderately positively correlated with gender and low iron values. In contrast, haemoglobin values were found to be negatively correlated with age and vitamin D values at a low level. The regression analysis results show that being underage, having low iron levels, and being of the female gender are associated with lower haemoglobin values in elderly individuals. Conclusion: This study reveals that anaemia, iron deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency are common in the elderly.