Anemia, or a low hemoglobin level in the blood, is often linked to heart disease because the heart has to work harder to pump more blood and oxygen through the body.
Anemia is a blood condition in which the levels of hemoglobin (an essential protein that carries oxygen to your tissues and organs) are lower than normal. Anemia usually occurs when you don't have enough red blood cells — the cells that transport hemoglobin throughout your body. In other instances, the red blood themselves may simply contain too little hemoglobin.
How Anemia Affects Your Health
When someone is anemic, the body doesn't get the oxygen that it needs. If anemia is unrecognized and untreated, serious damage can occur in the organs. Symptoms of anemia include:
- Generalized weakness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty catching your breath
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Fast or abnormal heartbeat
- Feeling cold all the time, especially in the hands and feet
- Numbness in the hands and feet
- Pale appearance
- Irritable mood
- Problems concentrating or performing at your job or in class
- Frequent headaches or dizziness
When anemia becomes severe, the heart has to pump harder and faster to compensate for the decreased oxygen levels in the body.
What Causes Anemia?
While there are different types of anemia, they all are due to the same underlying problems — insufficient red blood cells or lack of hemoglobin. Common causes of anemia include:
- Insufficient iron in the blood
- An inherited blood condition
- Lack of vitamins like B-12 and folate
- Another illness (like kidney disease or cancer)
- Rapid blood loss (due to recent surgery, heavy periods, or a bleeding ulcer)
Different Types of Anemia
The five most common forms of anemia are:
- Iron-deficiency anemia. The most frequently diagnosed form of anemia, iron deficiency anemia is due to a lack of iron, which isIron is critical for the body's production of hemoglobin.
- Sickle cell anemia. This is an inherited condition in which red blood cells are misshapen, or "sickle" shaped. The abnormal shape of the red blood cells causes them to be more fragile and less effective at delivering oxygen to the tissues.
- Thalassemia. A genetic disorder that runs in families. In thalassemia, the body doesn't make enough red blood cells or hemoglobin.
- Megaloblastic anemia. Megaloblastic red blood cells are produced when the body doesn't get enough vitamin B12 or folate. These red blood cells are bigger than normal cells, but do not transport hemoglobin as efficiently.
- Hemolytic anemia. In this condition, red blood cells are rapidly removed from the bloodstream. Infections, medications, and diseases of the immune system can all lead to this type of anemia. Hemolytic anemia can also occur after blood transfusions.
Are You At Risk for Anemia?
A number of risk factors increase the likelihood of developing anemia, including:
- Family history of anemia or other blood disorders
- Poor diet
- Loss of blood following surgery or injury, or blood loss from heavy menstruation
- Chronic illness, including diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid problems, and kidney disease
Anemia‘s Impact on Heart Health
The link between anemia and heart disease is clear: Up to 48 percent of people who have had heart failure are anemic. And of people hospitalized for a heart attack, 43 percent were found to have anemia. People who are anemic are at a 41-percent greater risk of having a heart attack or needing procedures to treat heart disease as compared to those without anemia.
When left untreated, anemia takes a toll on the body — particularly the heart — because oxygen levels are chronically diminished. People who already have heart disease may actually worsen their condition if they also develop anemia because decreased oxygen places added strain on the heart.
Diagnosing, Treating, and Preventing Anemia
Several simple blood tests can be used to diagnose anemia. Your doctor will perform a complete blood count (CBC) to determine how much hemoglobin there is in your blood. A CBC is also useful because it shows whether your other blood cell levels (white blood cells and platelets) are low. This information can help your doctor identify the source of your anemia. Iron, vitamin B12, and folate levels are also usually checked in the process of diagnosing anemia.
If your doctor thinks that you might have an inherited form of anemia, a special test called hemoglobin electrophoresis may also be performed. This test reveals the specific types of hemoglobin in your blood and can help diagnose conditions such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.
After anemia is diagnosed, treatment usually begins with dietary changes, vitamin supplements (including iron, vitamin B12, and folate), and medications designed to increase red blood cell production. In some cases, procedures like a blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant may also be considered.
It's sometimes possible to prevent anemia, particularly the forms that are caused by vitamin deficiencies. Here are some tips to help decrease your risk of anemia:
- Eat foods rich in iron like spinach, lean red meats, beans, lentils, iron-fortified cereal and bread, liver, oysters, tofu, fish, and dried fruit.
- Get lots of vitamin C to help your body absorb iron more effectively.
- Skip coffee and tea with your meals since they can interfere with iron absorption.
Finally, if you experience symptoms of anemia or have risk factors for anemia, talk to your doctor about getting regular screening tests to check your hemoglobin and red blood cell count. Early diagnosis and prevention of anemia will not only help you feel better faster, but it will also improve your heart health.
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