Causes

• anaemia of chronic disease
• iron-deficiency anaemia
• recent bleeding
• vitamin-B12/ folate deficiency
• myelodysplastic syndrome and acute leukaemia
• chronic leukaemia , lymphoma-related disorders
• other haematological disorders (myelofibrosis, aplastic anaemia , haemolytic anaemia )
• multiple myeloma 
  

Note:

• No cause may be found in a seventh of elderly patients 14% (95% CI: 7.2% to 21%). ^c

Chronic disease, iron-deficiency and bleeding are the commonest causes of anaemia in the elderly

-	elderly inpatients a b
anaemia of chronic disease	34% to 44%
iron-deficiency anaemia	15% to 36%
recent bleeding	7.3%
vitamin-B12/ folate deficiency	5.6% to 8.1%
myelodysplastic syndrome and acute leukaemia	5.6%
chronic leukaemia, lymphoma-related disorders	5.1%
other haematological disorders (myelofibrosis, aplastic anaemia, haemolytic anaemia)	2.8%
multiple myeloma	1.5%
no cause found	17%