Anemia of Chronic and Inflammatory Disease:
What You Need to Know
Anemia of chronic and inflammatory disease is a specific type of anemia. Possible causes
include underlying medical conditions, such as cancer, rheumatic fever, bacterial or viral
illnesses, and autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel
disease. When these conditions are present, the body cannot make enough red blood cells,
which results in a diagnosis of anemia of chronic disease.
Anemia means you have low levels of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin carries
oxygen to all parts of your body. When your hemoglobin level is low, your body cannot
get enough oxygen. Many people have mild anemia and do not have any symptoms.
However, it sometimes is serious, especially in older adults. Your doctor can tell you how
serious your anemia is. Make sure you let your doctor know if you are short of breath,
tired, have chest pain, or are dizzy, because these are all symptoms of anemia.
Iron-deficiency anemia means that your body does not get enough iron from the foods
that you eat or that your body has lost too much iron from excessive bleeding. Anemia of
chronic disease is different in that your body has plenty of iron stored in the body, but
that iron is not available to make red blood cells. This is because of your medical
condition and not because you are not getting enough iron.
Will an iron supplement help?
Taking an iron supplement will not solve anemia of chronic disease. In order to treat
anemia of chronic disease, you must treat the medical condition, such as the cancer or
infection that is causing the problem. Once the illness is treated, the body can begin
producing red blood cells again and in many cases the anemia is resolved. In severe
cases, your doctor may prescribe a medicine that helps the body produce red blood cells,
called erythropoietic agents. Depending on your medical condition, your anemia may
never go away.
Should I eat foods high in iron?
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important. No special foods will help treat your
anemia of chronic disease, but eating well for good health and/or whatever medical
condition you have is important. Make sure to eat foods from all of the major food groups
(meat and meat alternates, dairy foods, vegetables, fruits, and grains). If you have
medical conditions requiring a special diet, a registered dietitian can help you plan a
healthy eating pattern.
References and recommended readings
Anemia.org. Handouts: anemia and aging. Available at:
http://www.anemia.org/patients/information-handouts/aging/. Accessed August 26, 2012.
Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S, Raymond JL. Krause’s Food and the Nutrition Care
Process. 13th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders; 2012.
Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals. Anemia of chronic disease (ironreutilization anemia). Available at:
http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec11/ch130/ch130d.html. Accessed August 26, 2012.
Weiss G, Goodnough LT. Anemia of chronic disease. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:10111023.
Review Date 8/12
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