Anemia of chronic disease

Hey, everyone. In this presentation, we’re going to talk about anemia of chronic disease. Anemia of chronic disease, or ACD, occurs commonly, but it is the most misunderstood, under-diagnosed, and improperly treated form of anemia. In many cases, clinicians mistake it for iron-deficiency anemia and prescribe iron supplements, which not only don’t provide benefit, they may actually be harmful or even fatal in some situations. ACD is also referred to as anemia of chronic inflammation, which is probably a better term because the patient doesn’t have to have a life-threatening infection or disease in order to have it. It can be caused by something as simple as a viral infection, a UTI, H. pylori infection, or an autoimmune disease. Anemia of chronic inflammation is an adaptive or protective mechanism to limit the amount of iron a person absorbs when pathogens are present. All living things, including bacteria and cancer cells, depend on iron to sustain life.