blood disorders
Anemia of Chronic Disease
Introduction
In anemia of chronic disease, inflammation caused by a chronic disorder slows the production of red blood cells and sometimes decreases survival of red blood cells. (See also Overview of Anemia .) A chronic disease is one that lasts for 3 months or longer. Worldwide, anemia of chronic disease is the second most common type of anemia. Chronic disease often leads to anemia, especially in older adults. Conditions such as infections, Autoimmune Disorders (especially Suppression of the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow Decrease in the lifespan of red blood cells Problems with how the body uses iron Suppression of red blood cell production is usually not severe, so anemia develops slowly and is evident only after time. When there is a problem with how the body uses iron, the bone marrow is unable to use stored iron to create new red blood cells. Because anemia of chronic disease develops slowly and is generally mild, it usually causes few or no symptoms. When symptoms (for example, fatigue, weakness, or paleness) do occur, they usually result from the disease causing the anemia rather than from the anemia itself. 