Decreased erythropoietin responsiveness to iron deficiency anemia in the elderly

The prevalence of anemia in the elderly raises the question of an inappropriate secretion of erythropoietin in response to increased demands. Therefore, the serum erythropoietin concentration of elderly patients (74-95 years) with iron deficiency anemia was measured and compared to that of iron deficiency anemic adults (25-60 years). A lowered erythropoietin secretion in response to anemia was observed in elderly patients in comparison with adults. However, the serum erythropoietin of the anemic elderly was inversely correlated with hemoglobin levels as shown for the anemic adults. The progressive reduction of the renal function observed with aging could explain the decreased capacity of erythropoietin secretion in elderly patients.