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Anemia

Alternative News:

• Low vitamin D in kids may play a role in anemia - Science Daily, 5/1/11 - "vitamin D deficiency may play an important role in anemia ... looked at data from the blood samples of more than 9,400 children, 2 to 18 years of age. The lower the vitamin D levels, the lower the hemoglobin and the higher the risk for anemia, the researchers found. Children with levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood had a 50 percent higher risk for anemia than children with levels 20 ng/ml and above. For each 1 ng/ml increase in vitamin D, anemia risk dropped by 3 percent" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Spirulina shows immune boosting power for seniors - Nutra USA, 2/17/11 - "Twelve weeks of spirulina supplementation were associated with increased counts of white blood cells, foot soldiers of the immune system ... Immune function was measured using complete blood cell (CBC) counts and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme activity, and results showed that over half of all participants receiving spirulina had higher IDO activity after 6 and 12 weeks, while this proportion was “striking in men with over 75 percent of subjects manifesting such phenomenon” ... In terms of cell counts, spirulina was associated with a steady increase in corpuscular hemoglobin, thereby ameliorating anemia" - [Abstract] - See spirulina products at iHerb.
• The effects of Spirulina on anemia and immune function in senior citizens - Cell Mol Immunol. 2011 Jan 31 - "Participants took a Spirulina supplementation for 12 weeks and were administered comprehensive dietary questionnaires to determine their nutritional regimen during the study. Complete cell count (CCC) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme activity, as a sign of immune function, were determined at baseline and weeks 6 and 12 of supplementation. Thirty study participants completed the entire study and the data obtained were analyzed. Over the 12-week study period, there was a steady increase in average values of mean corpuscular hemoglobin in subjects of both sexes. In addition, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration also increased in male participants. Older women appeared to benefit more rapidly from Spirulina supplements. Similarly, the majority of subjects manifested increased IDO activity and white blood cell count at 6 and 12 weeks of Spirulina supplementation. Spirulina may ameliorate anemia and immunosenescence in older subjects" - See spirulina products at iHerb.
• Not Enough B12? - Dr. Weil, 1/20/04
• Iron Supplements May Help Fatigued Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/03 - "Women who experience unexplained fatigue, but who are not anaemic may benefit from iron supplementation ...The level of fatigue after one month decreased by - 1.82/6.37 points (29%) in the iron group, compared with - 0.85/6.46 points (13%) in the placebo group ... the lower limit for serum ferritin concentration is controversial: iron stores in the bone marrow may serve as a better indicator of iron deficiency, they add. The lower reference limits for serum ferritin and haemoglobin concentrations have been considered too low for women and it has been suggested should be the same as for men" - [Abstract]
• Taurine Helps Correct Iron-Deficiency Anemia - New Hope Natural Media, 12/19/02 - "Half of the women were also given taurine (1,000 mg per day), while the others received a placebo ... the group receiving taurine had a significantly greater increase in blood count than did the placebo group. The advantage of taurine over placebo was equivalent to the production of more than three-quarters of a pint of additional blood" - See iHerb taurine products.
• Fighting Fatigue: Iron Overload vs. Anaemia - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 2/02 - "Menstruating women are more likely to feel tired because of an iron deficiency, whereas men 40 years and older are more likely to tire from iron overload ... the anaemia rate of adults older than 85 may be similarly high—ranging from 17 to 28 per cent ... In a state of iron overload, fatigue is often accompanied by arthritis, diabetes, infertility, male impotence, skin pigmentation, and liver or heart disease ... unexplained fatigue may be a physical symptom of masked depression"
• Dying From Neglect - Life Extension Magazine, 3/02

Other News:

• Peginesatide Rivals EPO as Anemia Treatment - Medscape, 1/25/13 - "Peginesatide taken once monthly was as safe and effective as epoetin taken 1 to 3 times per week in treating anemia"
• Anemia may more than triple your risk of dying after a stroke - Science Daily, 2/2/12 - "Without red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and other symptoms can occur .. Patients with severe anemia were 3.5 times more likely to die while still in the hospital and 2.5 times more likely to die within a year"
• Hemoglobin level in older persons and incident Alzheimer disease: Prospective cohort analysis - Neurology. 2011 Jul 13 - "When compared to participants with clinically normal hemoglobin (n = 717), participants with anemia (n = 154) had a 60% increased hazard for developing AD (95% CI 1.02-2.52), as did participants with clinically high hemoglobin (n = 10, HR 3.39, 95% CI 1.25-9.20). Linear mixed-effects models showed that lower and higher hemoglobin levels were associated with a greater rate of global cognitive decline (parameter estimate for quadratic of hemoglobin = -0.008, SE -0.002, p < 0.001). Compared to participants with clinically normal hemoglobin, participants with anemia had a -0.061 z score unit annual decline in global cognitive function (SE 0.012, p < 0.001), as did participants with clinically high hemoglobin (-0.090 unit/year, SE 0.038, p = 0.018) ... In older persons without dementia, both lower and higher hemoglobin levels are associated with an increased hazard for developing AD and more rapid cognitive decline"
• Anemia Underappreciated in Elderly Psychiatric Inpatients - Medscape, 3/14/11 - "Below-normal hemoglobin levels commonly occur in older patients, which has led to the misconception that anemia is a natural consequence of aging. However, recent research has challenged this view, with several studies showing a direct link between anemia and adverse outcomes in older patients. Outcomes may include deterioration in cognition and mood, overall physical function, and quality of life and also an increased risk for death"
• Helicobacter pylori infection linked to decreased iron levels in otherwise healthy children - Science Daily, 3/7/11 - "Half of the world's population is infected with H. pylori and most of the individuals are asymptomatically infected ... Previous research has shown that iron levels correlate with several body functions including brain activity and have well documented long-term health consequences such as increased morbidity and mortality and loss of productivity ... the infection causes a decrease in the levels of iron in children who do not have anemia or an iron deficiency. The bacterium H. pylori infects the lining of the stomach resulting in chronic swelling of tissue, a condition known as gastritis. H. pylori is also a major cause of peptic ulcer disease and the cause of most cancers of the stomach ... Over time markers of iron stored in the body increased in children no longer infected. However, children who remained infected lagged in levels of one marker, serum ferritin, at their six month follow-up. The protein serum ferritin measures the amount of iron stored in your body"
• How To Confirm The Causes Of Iron Deficiency Anemia In Young Women - Science Daily, 6/23/09
• Anemia May Raise Mortality Risk in Heart Failure Patients - Medscape, 9/15/08
• The effect of losartan on hemoglobin concentration and renal outcome in diabetic nephropathy of type 2 diabetes - Kidney Int. 2007 Dec 19 - "Compared with placebo, losartan treatment was associated with a significant decrease of hemoglobin, with the largest between-group difference at 1 year. After adjustment, there were significant relative risk reductions for losartan compared with placebo for ESRD and for ESRD or death regardless of the baseline hemoglobin even in those patients with a baseline hemoglobin below 120 g l(-1). Hence, the renoprotective properties of losartan were maintained despite a significant lowering of the hemoglobin concentration"
• New Way To Boost Red Blood Cell Numbers - Science Daily, 1/10/08
• High-Dose Anemia Drug May Have Risks - WebMD, 11/16/06
• Deferiprone and Deferasirox Equally Effective in Patients With Thalassemia Major - Doctor's Guide, 6/19/06
• Drugs for Managing Anemia Are Not Clinically Different - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/06
• New Drug Poised to Radically Change Treatment of Severe Anemias - Doctor's Guide, 4/21/06
• FDA Approves Extended Dosing of Aranesp (Darbepoetin Alfa) to Treat Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 3/27/06
• Simple Darbepoetin (Aranesp) Regimen Reverses Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 2/3/06
• Darbepoietin Effective for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 1/30/06
• Data Show Ferriprox Is More Efficacious than Deferoxamine in Removing Iron from The Heart and in Preventing Early Death in Patients with Thalassemia - Doctor's Guide, 1/9/06
• Meta-Analysis Shows Darbepoetin Alfa Treatment Improves Outcomes in Patients with Chemo-Induced Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 12/16/05
• High-Dose Epoetin Alfa (Procrit) Every 3 Weeks Effective for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 12/14/05
• Exjade, a Breakthrough Once-Daily Oral Iron Chelator, Receives First Approval Worldwide in the U.S. - Doctor's Guide, 11/3/05
• Anemia Associated With Higher Risk Of Death In The Elderly - Science Daily, 10/25/05
• Heart Failure Worsens With Anemia, Increases Risk Of Death - Doctor's Guide, 8/16/05
• Fixed Dose Epoetin Alfa Shows Efficacy and Safety for Cancer-Associated Anaemia: Presented at EHA - Doctor's Guide, 6/9/05
• Daily Oral Iron Chelator ICL670 (Deferasirox) Well Tolerated and Effective in Patients With Transfusional Iron Overload: Presented at EHA - Doctor's Guide, 6/8/05
• Mild Anemia Associated Negatively Affects Quality of Life - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05
• Undiagnosed Anemia Common With Chronic Illness - Science Daily, 4/6/05 - "anemia, a reduction in the number of red blood cells, occurs surprisingly more often than medical professionals and patients recognize ... Anemia is also caused by a dietary deficiency of iron, folate or vitamin B12, all of which are needed to produce healthy red blood cells"
• Erythropoeitic Agents May Help Cancer Patients With Cancer-related or Chemotherapy Related Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 3/21/05
• New Warning for Anemia Drug Aranesp - WebMD, 1/14/05
• Mechanisms and Treatment of Anemia in Chronic Heart Failure - Medscape, 11/29/04
• Epoetin Alfa Effective for Mild Chemotherapy-Associated Anemia - Doctor's Guide, 6/8/04
• FDA Eyes Safety of Popular Anemia Drugs - WebMD, 5/4/04
• Addition of Intravenous Iron to Recombinant Human Erythropoietin May Improve Response in Patients With Chemotherapy-Related Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/04
• Laparoscopic Splenectomy Safe, Effective for Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia - Doctor's Guide, 3/11/04
• Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia Responds to Treatment With Rituximab - Doctor's Guide, 1/8/04
• Late-Life Anemia Affects Morbidity and Mortality - Medscape, 12/17/03
• Anemia in Elderly Cancer Patients Should Be Diagnosed and Treated - Doctor's Guide, 12/16/03
• Treat Anemia Early, Even if Mild, During Blood Cancer Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 12/10/03
• Anemia Often Underdetected In Diabetes - Physician's Weekly, 11/17/03
• Anemia Drug May Hurt Cancer Treatment - WebMD, 10/17/03
• Anaemia in Diabetics Often Unrecognised, Undetected, and Untreated - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/03 - "Although anaemia is a key indicator of renal disease, a significant complication caused by diabetes, most diabetics are not tested for anaemia and remain unaware of an association between anaemia and kidney disease ... reduced quality of life was evident by reports of being down or depressed (21%), very down or depressed (17%), or feeling frustrated (17%)"
• Immunosuppressive Therapy May Offer Good Response Rate, Survival in Severe Aplastic Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/03
• Death Risk Higher if Anaemia Accompanies Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/03
• Darbepoetin Alfa Effective for Cancer-Related Anemia When Given Once Every 3 Weeks - Doctor's Guide, 9/17/03
• Anemia Leads to Physical Declines in Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 8/18/03
• Hydroxyurea May Eliminate Transfusions In Patients With Beta-Thalassemia Major - Doctor's Guide, 8/12/03
• Once Weekly Epoetin Beta Regimen Effectively Treats Chemotherapy-Induced Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/03
• Anaemia Elevates Risk of Physical Decline in Older People - Doctor's Guide, 7/28/03
• Anemia in Elderly Linked to Declines - WebMD, 7/25/03 - "Elderly people with anemia have twice the risk of experiencing physical declines that can end up robbing them of their independence ... the findings should help call attention to a condition that is underdiagnosed and undertreated in elderly populations ... anemia can often be caused by an underlying disease such as cancer or kidney failure or by treatments for these diseases. Poor nutrition is a less common cause among the elderly, and no cause can be identified in about 30% of cases ... the diagnosis of anemia among elderly patients has not been a priority in the past because there were no effective treatments for the condition. That changed, however, with the introduction of epoetin alfa ... The injectable drug is marketed under the brand names Epogen and Procrit"
• Recombinant Human Erythropoietin is Safe, Effective Postpartum Treatment for Anaemic Women - Doctor's Guide, 7/16/03
• New Cancer and Treatment-Related Anemia Practice Guidelines Provide Direction on Dosing of Erythropoietic Agents - Doctor's Guide, 7/2/03
• Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Treatment Provides Quality of Life Benefits for Cancer-Related Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 6/27/03
• One Weekly Epoetin Beta Dose As Effective and Well Tolerated as Three Per Week - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/03
• One Weekly Epoetin Beta Dose As Effective, Well Tolerated For Treatment Of Anaemia As Three Per Week - Doctor's Guide, 6/19/03
• Area-Under-the-Curve More Sensitive than Haemoglobin Alone to Determine Quality of Life in Cancer Patients with Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 6/9/03
• Erythropoietin Protocol Spares Red-Blood-Cell Transfusions in Anaemic Intensive-Care Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/9/03
• Long-Term Safety And Efficacy Of Deferiprone Defined - Doctor's Guide, 6/6/03
• Severe Sleep Abnormalities Found In Children And Adolescents With Chronic Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/03
• Long-Term Deferiprone May Protect Heart Against Toxic Iron Overload In Patients With Thalassaemia Major - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/03
• Hydroxyurea May Be A Useful Alternative To Erythrocyte Transfusions For Children With Severe Beta Thalassaemia - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/03
• Blood Donation May Cause More Adverse Effects Than Commonly Thought - Doctor's Guide, 5/15/03
• Iron Deficiency Alters Brain Development and Functioning - J. Nutr. 133:1468S-1472S, May 2003 - "Iron deficiency anemia in early life is related to altered behavioral and neural development. Studies in human infants suggest that this is an irreversible effect that may be related to changes in chemistry of neurotransmitters, organization and morphology of neuronal networks, and neurobiology of myelination"
• Immunological Safety Not a Problem with Bovine-Derived Human Blood Substitute - Doctor's Guide, 3/10/03
• Anaemia A Marker For Higher Mortality Among Elderly With Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 2/19/03
• Inadequate Definition Of Iron Deficiency In Infancy - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/02
• Elevated Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Marker For Fanconi's Anaemia - Doctor's Guide, 12/19/02
• Erythropoietin Reduces Transfusions, Increases Haemoglobin in the Critically Ill - Doctor's Guide, 12/11/02
• Oral Iron Chelator Reduces Iron Overload - Medscape, 12/10/02
• Reducing Adhesion Molecule Expression In Leukocytes May Improve Sickle Cell Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 11/26/02
• Iron Saccharrate Infusion Found Safe, Effective For Iron Deficient Children - Doctor's Guide, 10/25/02
• Darbepoetin Alfa Reduces Anemia and Fatigue in Lung Cancer - Medscape, 8/23/02
• Ventilation Monitoring and Analgesic Essential for Those in Vaso-occlusive Sickle Cell Crisis - Doctor's Guide, 7/26/02
• Haemoglobin, Ferritin Levels At Constant Difference Between Men And Women - Doctor's Guide, 7/23/02
• Low Hemoglobin Means High Risk For Mobility Problems In Elderly Women - Doctor's Guide, 7/9/02
• Iron Deficiency Anaemia Patients Not Adequately Investigated - Doctor's Guide, 6/10/02
• Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia Warns of Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02 - "Severe anemia defined by a ferritin level of 20 ng/mL or less, or a hemoglobin level of 12.5 or less, is a sign of cancer risk that should be investigated by endoscopy"
• Simple Colour Tint Scales Improves Anaemia Diagnosis - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/02
• Anemia In Elderly Indicates Underlying Disease - Doctor's Guide, 5/11/99