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Anemia in the Elderly
Edited by L. Balducci, W. B. Ershler, and J. M. Bennett
150 pp, $119
New York, NY, Springer Science, 2007
IBSN-13: 978-0-3874-9505-7
JAMA. 2008;299(19):2331-2332.
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Anemia in the Elderly offers a thoughtful overview of a common yet underdiagnosed medical condition affecting nearly 3 million older adults in the United States. Throughout this book, the editors build a strong case for the clinical significance of anemia by highlighting key geriatric aspects of illness. Specific concerns of anemia include an increased risk of congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and cognitive disorders, as well as functional dependence and hospitalization. Aside from the high prevalence, the authors suggest that approximately 70% of anemia in older individuals is potentially reversible.
The book starts with a rather technical review of stem cell aging. Unfortunately this detailed discourse on telomeres, genetics deletions, and stem cells offers little in the way of clinical relevance and is difficult to understand. Many readers would be well served to simply skip this chapter altogether and move on to "the good stuff."
Chapter 2, aptly entitled "Anemia . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Preeti N. Malani, MD, MSJ, Reviewer
University of Michigan Health System
Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
Ann Arbor, Michigan
pmalani@umich.edu
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