Anemia of chronic disease natural history, complications and prognosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Omer Kamal, M.D.[2]

Overview

Potentially life-threatening complications include congestive heart failure, Angina, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and high-output heart failure. If left untreated, anemia of chronic disease usually manifests as congestive heart failure, angina, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and high-output heart failure.The anemia will improve when the disease that is causing it is successfully treated.

Natural History

Complications

Decreased oxygen delivery^[1]

Exertional dyspnea Dyspnea at rest
Fatigue Hyperdynamic signs like bounding pulses, palpitations, and a roaring pulsatile sound in the ears
Lethargy, confusion

Hypovolemia

A correlation has been observed between severe anemia and increased bleeding risk

Prognosis

The anemia will improve when the disease that is causing it is successfully treated.

References

↑ Weiskopf RB, Viele MK, Feiner J, Kelley S, Lieberman J, Noorani M, Leung JM, Fisher DM, Murray WR, Toy P, Moore MA (January 1998). “Human cardiovascular and metabolic response to acute, severe isovolemic anemia”. JAMA. 279 (3): 217–21. PMID 9438742.
↑ Uhl L, Assmann SF, Hamza TH, Harrison RW, Gernsheimer T, Slichter SJ (September 2017). “Laboratory predictors of bleeding and the effect of platelet and RBC transfusions on bleeding outcomes in the PLADO trial”. Blood. 130 (10): 1247–1258. doi:10.1182/blood-2017-01-757930. PMC 5606003. PMID 28679741.

Overview