Biology of Anemia: A Public Health Perspective.

ABSTRACT: Our goal is to present recent progress in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying anemia from a public health perspective. We describe important advances in understanding common causes of anemia and their interactions, including iron deficiency (ID), lack of other micronutrients, infection, inflammation, and genetic conditions. ID develops if the iron circulating in the blood cannot provide the amounts required for red blood cell production and tissue needs. ID anemia develops as iron-limited red blood cell production fails to maintain the hemoglobin concentration above the threshold used to define anemia. Globally, absolute ID (absent or reduced body iron stores that do not meet the need for iron of an individual but may respond to iron supplementation) contributes to only a li

SUBMITTER: Brittenham GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7618251 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature