Anemia is a frequent finding in older patients, associated with increased morbidity. Hematologic data of German geriatric inpatients are scarce. This cross-sectional multicenter study was issued by the German Geriatric Society to evaluate hematologic findings and possible causes of anemia in German geriatric inpatients.

Five hundred and seventy-nine geriatric inpatients, consecutively recruited in 6 participating German study centers; patient characteristics and laboratory parameters were obtained on admission. Inclusion criteria: geriatric in-patient≥70 years; exclusion criteria: actual cancer disease or cancer associated treatment. Anemia definition according to WHO criteria. Definition of anemia severity according to National Cancer Institute reference values. Anemia subtypes were defined and divided into renal anemia, anemia of chronic diseases, iron deficiency anemia and anemia associated with vitamin B12 deficiency or deficiency of folic acid. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was suspected in case of anemia in combination with leucopenia or low platelets.

Overall, prevalence of anemia was 55.1% (319/579 patients), mean serum hemoglobin value 11.9g/dL. Anemia was mainly mild (72.7%) and normocytic (70.2%). MDS was suspected in 27 patients (8.5%), with 10 being macrocytic. Anemia of chronic diseases (ACD) was the most prevalent subtype of anemia (8.2%); multicausality can be assumed in many patients. MCV based classification was heterogenous in all anemia subtypes.

Anemia was mainly normocytic, mild and highly prevalent in this patient cohort, could not always be specified; multicausality was supposed; MCV appeared to be inappropriate for pathogenetical assignment of anemia subtypes in older patients. Further research in geriatric hematologic particularities is needed.