Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
INTRODUCTION: We aimed to analyze the prevalence of unexplained anemia (UA) and assess its characteristics, potential causes and impact on survival in an elderly population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical files of 981 patients aged ≥ 60 years consulted in one primary medical clinic in Poland in 2013-2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Anemia, defined according to WHO criteria, diagnosed during either hospitalization or outpatient treatment, from the age of 60, was included. Unexplained anemia was diagnosed if, based on available clinical data and laboratory tests and other assessments in medical records, none of the well-known types of anemia were identified. RESULTS: < 0.0001) with significant differences in survival rates observed during 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing incidence with age of UA in the elderly population, insufficient diagnosis and the higher mortality of patients with UA in comparison to the group without anemia indicate the need to develop recommendations for its management by primary care physicians.
Michalak et al. (Tue,) studied this question.