UNRESOLVED ANEMIA MAY INCREASE RISK OF DEATH IN PEOPLE WITH HIV

In addition to the immediately obvious clinical complications of HIV disease, anemia can substantially reduce quality of life for HIV-infected people. Now a new study has suggested that anemia alone, if not corrected, can significantly increase the risk of death in people with HIV/AIDS.

Anemia is a deficiency in the number of red blood cells, which transport oxygen to the body's tissues. The condition may be caused by a number of factors, ranging from improper diet, to certain drugs, to autoimmune diseases, to infections including HIV. Symptoms can include fatigue, paleness, unusual bleeding, and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. According to experts, the condition affects up to 95% of people living with HIV at some point during their illness.

Richard Moore, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Program in Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said, "The symptoms of anemia can be so severe that individuals can become bedridden and unable to perform even basic daily activities." In the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology, a group of researchers from Johns Hopkins reported that they observed 2,343 patients between 1989 and 1996 and found that 498 (21 percent) had some degree of anemia. Patients treated with erythropoietin had longer survival time, while treatment of anemia using blood transfusions was found to diminish survival time.

"Although anemia frequently is viewed as affecting the patient's quality of life," Dr. Moore added, "Our research found it also can be linked to early death." Dr. Moore recommends that patients and physicians educate themselves about the symptoms of early anemia, and seek medical attention when appropriate.