FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- A poor diet is associated
with a greater risk of developing anemia among postmenopausal
women, a new study has found.
Researchers analyzed data from 72,833 older women in the United
States and found that deficiencies in more than a single nutrient
were associated with a 21 percent increased risk of persistent
anemia. Risk increased 44 percent with deficiencies in three
nutrients.
Women with anemia consumed less protein, folate, vitamin B12,
iron, vitamin C and red meat than did others, the study found. The
results are published in the April issue of the
Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Inadequate nutrient intake was less frequent among whites than
in other racial or ethnic groups: 7.4 percent, compared with 14.6
percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders, 15.2 percent of Native
Americans/Alaskans, 15.3 percent of blacks and 16.3 percent of
Hispanics.
The researchers also found that the use of multivitamin and
mineral supplements was not associated with lower rates of anemia.
Age, body mass index and smoking were associated with anemia.
Anemia has been linked to an increased risk of death and,
"anemia, particularly iron deficiency, has been associated with
reduced capacity for physical work and physical inactivity, injury
related to falls and hospitalizations, making this an important
health-care concern in the aging," lead investigator Cynthia A.
Thomson, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the
University of Arizona in Tucson, said in a journal news
release.
"Efforts to identify anemia that may be responsive to modifiable factors, such as diet to improve health outcomes, are needed," the researchers concluded. "Additional efforts to regularly evaluate postmenopausal women for anemia should be considered and should be accompanied by an assessment of dietary intake to determine adequacy of intake of anemia-associated nutrients, including iron, vitamin B12 and folate," they wrote.
"While the type of anemia is often designated by a more comprehensive biochemical assessment than hemoglobin alone, nutritional therapy to improve overall nutrient-density and quality of the diet should also be a clinical focus," Thomson and colleagues said.
More information
WomensHealth.gov has more about
anemia.