Fit & Proper: Anaemia ails men as well

Arun, a mid-level executive with a logistics company, had been working round the clock for six months on a project bagged from an e-commerce entity. His personal life had taken a hit and so had his diet and exercise regimen. He thought once the project was over, his life would be back on track. The project ended three months ago, but instead of feeling fresh and light, Arun feels weak. Taking the stairs to his third-floor office is also an ordeal. A blood test revealed that his haemoglobin level had plunged to the extent that he was anaemic.
The World Health Organisation estimates 48 per cent of pregnant women, 46 per cent of non-pregnant women and 66 per cent of preschool children suffer from anaemia in Southeast Asia. From analysing three years of haemoglobin test data, we have found 43.5 per cent of men also have below normal haemoglobin. A majority of them are in the age group of 61-75 years.

Anaemia result from a number of causes, the most significant contributor being iron deficiency. Other causes in men include micronutrient deficiencies (folate, riboflavin, vitamins A and B12); acute and chronic infections (malaria, cancer, tuberculosis, intestinal parasites and HIV); inherited or acquired disorders that affect haemoglobin synthesis, red blood cell production or red blood cell survival; intestinal disorders that affect the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine (such as Crohn's disease and celiac disease); and systemic metal toxicities caused most commonly by continuous exposure to heavy metals like lead, mercury and copper.

Complications due to anaemia

• Severe fatigue and breathlessness: when anaemia is severe enough, one may be too tired to be able to complete everyday tasks.
• Heart problems: anaemia can lead to rapid or irregular heartbeat. This is because heart must pump more blood to compensate for the lack of oxygen in the blood when one is anaemic. This can even lead to congestive heart failure.
• Increased risk of infections
• Increased risk of death and cognitive loss: some inherited anaemias, such as sickle cell anaemia, can lead to life-threatening complications.

Leena Chatterjee
Director, Fortis SRL Labs & SRL Strategic Initiatives