Clinical Profile Of Anemia And Its Impact On Functional Capacity And Cognition In Elderly” Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of M.D Degree Examination Geriatrics

Abstract

This study is a case control analysis, with fifty elderly anemic cases that meet the WHO definition of anemia and fifty non-anemic controls, matched for age and sex. This comparative study aims to determine how anemia hastens the onset of cognitive decline and functional disability in the elderly. Furthermore, it assesses the comprehensive clinical profile of fifty elderly cases of anemia, which will aid in determining the prevalence of common anemia types, dietary patterns, drug history, clinical manifestations, and the most common aetiology leading to occurrence of anemia. Standardised scales such as the Katz ADL and Lawton IADL were used to evaluate the functional capacity of the cases and controls. Cognition assessment was done using MOCA scale. Data for clinical profile was collected by thorough history taking, clinical examination and lab investigations. Female preponderance was seen in our study and mean age of the study population was 69.8 years. Iron deficiency anemia was the most common type of anemia and the most common etiology leading to occurrence of anemia was due to poor bioavailability secondary to various causes. Katz ADL assessment among the cases and controls revealed a significant odds ratio (OR = 15.8) which implies the odds of anemic elderly getting their daily activities impaired were found sixteen fold higher than non-anemic elderly. The Lawton IADL performed on study population revealed a considerable odds ratio (OR = 10.62) which implies that the anemic elderly are eleven times more prone to get dependent on others for their instrumental activities of day to day life. MOCA assessment performed among the cases and controls reveals that odds of anemic elderly undergoing cognition decline is tenfold higher than the non-anemic elderly (OR = 9.75). Considering this note, anemia not only impairs the older individuals physically but it also impacts their mental capacity which will make older people more dependent on caretakers to do everyday tasks. Due to their greater dependence on others, elderly people in developing nations like India, where there is a shortage of skilled caregivers, face a costly dilemma that increases their vulnerability to elder abuse in multiple ways. Therefore, the government should take action to raise awareness about the need of early diagnosis and treatment of anemia in the elderly in order to prevent functional impairment and cognitive decline and preserve their quality of life.