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The relationship between anemia, hemoglobin concentration and frailty in Brazilian older adults

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objective

to explore the relationship between anemia, hemoglobin concentration and frailty syndrome in older adults.

Research Methods and Procedures

This was a cross-sectional population-based study, with adults ≥60 years (n=1,256) from the third wave of the SABE Cohort Study (Health, Well-being and Aging) conducted in 2010 in São Paulo, Brazil. Frailty syndrome was evaluated according to Fried´s phenotype. Anemia was defined using the WHO criteria (hemoglobin concentration <12 g/dL for women and <13 g/dL for men). Four approaches were used to verify the associations between anemia, hemoglobin concentration and frailty status or number of frailty criteria. We used logistic regression and Poisson regression in the analyses, and they were adjusted in three hierarchical models using three blocks of variables: basic characteristics; clinical characteristics; cognitive status.

Results

Mean hemoglobin concentration was significantly lower in frail elderly (13.3g/dL, versus 14.3g/dL in non-frail; p<0.001). Prevalence of anemia was also significantly higher in frail when compared to non-frail elderly (24.2% and 3.8%; p<0.001). Anemia was significantly associated to low physical activity, weakness and slowness. In the fully adjusted regression models, anemia was strongly associated to frailty (OR=3.27, 95%IC=1.89,5.65; p<0.001), and lower levels of hemoglobin were associated to higher number of frailty criteria.

Conclusions

We found important associations between anemia, hemoglobin concentration and frailty; anemic older adults were more likely to be frail, and lower levels of hemoglobin were associated to higher number of frailty criteria showing a clear dose-response effect..

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition, R. Pedro Zaccaria, University of Campinas, 1300, Limeira, Sao Paulo, 13484-35, 0, Brazil

    Ligiana Pires Corona

  2. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA

    F. C. Drumond Andrade

  3. Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Y. A. de Oliveira Duarte

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    M. L. Lebrao

Authors
  1. Ligiana Pires Corona
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  2. F. C. Drumond Andrade
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  3. Y. A. de Oliveira Duarte
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  4. M. L. Lebrao
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Correspondence to Ligiana Pires Corona.

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Pires Corona, L., Drumond Andrade, F.C., de Oliveira Duarte, Y.A. et al. The relationship between anemia, hemoglobin concentration and frailty in Brazilian older adults. J Nutr Health Aging 19, 935–940 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0502-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0502-3

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