Anemia of chronic disease

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Blood cells

Anemia of chronic disease is a blood disorder that results from a medical condition that affects the production and lifespan of red blood cells.

See also: Anemia

Anemia of inflammation

Anemia is a condition where there is a lower than normal number of red blood cells in the blood. Certain chronic infections and inflammatory diseases can affect red blood cells.

Conditions associated with the anemia of chronic disease include:

• Cancer
• Chronic bacterial endocarditis
• Osteomyelitis
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatic fever
• Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative colitis

Chronic renal failure may produce a similar anemia because it causes reduced levels of erythropoietin , the hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.

Review Date: 02/06/2007
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.