Anemia and risk for cognitive decline in chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND: Anemia is common among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) but its health consequences are poorly defined. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between anemia and cognitive decline in older adults with CKD. METHODS: We studied a subgroup of 762 adults age ≥55 years with CKD participating in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study. Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization criteria (hemoglobin <13 g/dL for men and <12 g/dL for women). Cognitive function was assessed annually with a battery of six tests. We used logistic regression to determine the association between anemia and baseline cognitive impairment on each test, defined as a cognitive score more than one standard deviation from the mean, and mixed effects models to determine the relation between anemia and change in cognitive function during follow-up after adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Of 762 participants with mean estimated glomerular filtration rate of 42.7 ± 16.4 ml/min/1.73 m(2), 349 (46 %) had anemia. Anemia was not independently associated with baseline cognitive impairment on any test after adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics. Over a median 2.9 (IQR 2.6–3.0) years of follow-up, there was no independent association between anemia and change in cognitive function on any of the six cognitive tests. CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults with CKD, anemia was not independently associated with baseline cognitive function or decline. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12882-016-0226-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Impact of Plasmodium falciparum infection on the frequency of moderate to severe anaemia in children below 10 years of age in Gabon

BACKGROUND: Improving the understanding of childhood malarial anaemia may help in the design of appropriate management strategies. METHODS: A prospective observational study over a two-year period to assess the burden of anaemia and its relationship to Plasmodium falciparum infection and age was conducted in 8,195 febrile Gabonese children. RESULTS: The proportion of children with anaemia was 83.6% (n = 6830), higher in children between the ages of six and 23 months. Those under three years old were more likely to develop moderate to severe anaemia (68%). The prevalence of malaria was 42.7% and P. falciparum infection was more frequent in children aged 36-47 months (54.5%). The proportion of anaemic children increased with parasite density (p 60%), but was unrelated to P. falciparum parasitaemia. CONCLUSION: Malaria is one of the main risk factors for childhood anaemia which represents a public health problem in Gabon. The risk of severe malarial anaemia increases up the age of three years. Efforts to improve strategies for controlling anaemia and malaria are needed

Iron deficiency anemia is not a rare problem among women of reproductive ages in Ethiopia: a community based cross sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Ethiopia, the existence of iron deficiency anemia is controversial despite the fact that Ethiopia is one of the least developed in Africa with a high burden of nutrient deficiencies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The first large nutrition study of a representative sample of women in Ethiopia was conducted from June to July 2005 and a systematically selected sub-sample of 970 of these subjects, 15 to 49 years old, were used in this analysis of nutritional anemia. Hemoglobin was measured from capillary blood using a portable HemoCue photometer. For serum ferritin, venous blood from antecubital veins was measured by an automated Elecsys 1020 using commercial kits. Diets were assessed via simplified food frequency questionnaire. The association of anemia to demographic and health variables was tested by chi-square and a stepwise backward logistic regression model was applied to test the significant associations observed in chi square tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean hemoglobin ± SD was 11.5 ± 2.1 g/dL with a 29.4% prevalence of anemia. Mean serum ferritin was 58 ± 41.1 ug/L with a 32.1% prevalence of iron deficiency. The overall prevalence rate of iron deficiency anemia was 18.0%. Prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia was highest among those 31-49 years old (p < 0.05). Intake of vegetables less than once a day and meat less than once a week was common and was associated with increased anemia (p = 0.001). Although the prevalence of anemia was slightly higher among women with parasitic infestation the difference was not significant (p = 0.9). Nonetheless, anemia was significantly higher in women with history of illness and the association was retained even when the variable was adjusted for its confounding effect in the logistic regression models (AOR = 0.3; 95%CI = 0.17 to 0.5) signifying that the most probable causes of anemia is nutrition related and to some extent chronic illnesses.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Moderate nutritional anemia in the form of iron deficiency anemia is a problem in Ethiopia and therefore, the need for improved supplementation to vulnerable groups is warranted to achieve the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. Chronic illnesses are another important cause of anemia.</p

Iron deficiency anaemia in adolescent athletes of the Vila Olímpica Fonndation of Manaus - AM

Considering the dearth of information with regard to the nutritional state of young athletes, were identified the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia and its association with nutritional indicators of adolescent athletes participating in the Sport Initiation Program of the Vila Olímpica Foundation in Manaus -AM. A sample was made up of 194 voluntary adolescent male athletes classified as beginners, who participated in several different sports. Data collected was by verification of anthropometric measures (body weight, height, and skinfold thicknesses of triceps and subscapular skinfold), hemoglobin dosage utilizing a portable hemoglobinometer, HemoCue direct calorimetric method, and socioeconomic instrument. In the diagnosis of the nutritional states, we used Height-for-age- and Body Mass Index for the age indicators, adjusted cut-off points proposed by the WHO. The results showed that 9.4 % of the adolescents suffered from malnutrition, 8.2% overweight, and 4.6 obesity. The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia found in the samples was 41.7%, with predominance in the lowest socioeconomic class. Although the prevalence of anaemia was high, the nutritional state of the adolescents did not influence these results, considering that the majority looked healthy. In view of these findings, we suggest that effective means be taken for nutritional education to minimize and/or control iron deficiency anaemia.Considerando a escassez de informações quanto ao estado nutricional de atletas jovens, identificou-se a prevalência de anemia ferropriva e sua associação com indicadores nutricionais de atletas adolescentes participantes do Programa de Iniciação Esportiva da Fundação Vila Olímpica de Manaus-AM. A amostra foi constituída por 194 atletas adolescentes do gênero masculino, voluntários, praticantes de diferentes modalidades esportivas classificados como iniciantes. A coleta dos dados foi realizada mediante verificação de medidas antropométricas (peso corporal, estatura e espessuras das dobras cutâneas tricipital e subescapular), dosagem de hemoglobina utilizando o hemoglobinômetro portátil (Sistema Hemocue) e instrumento socioeconômico. No diagnóstico do estado nutricional foram utilizados os indicadores Estatura para a Idade (E/I) e Índice de Massa Corporal para a idade (IMC/I), assumindo pontos de corte propostos pela OMS. Os resultados mostraram que 9,4% dos adolescentes apresentaram desnutrição, 8,2% sobrepeso e 4,6% obesidade. A prevalência de anemia ferropriva encontrada na amostra foi de 41,7%, com predominância na classe socioeconômica mais baixa. Embora a prevalência de anemia tenha sido elevada, o estado nutricional dos adolescentes não influenciou sobre este resultado, considerando que a maioria dos adolescentes apresentou-se eutrófica. Diante do exposto, sugere-se a adoção de medidas efetivas de intervenção e de educação nutricional visando à minimização e/ou o controle da anemia ferropriva

The use of airborne laser scanning to develop a pixel-based stratification for a verified carbon offset project

Background The voluntary carbon market is a new and growing market that is increasingly important to consider in managing forestland. Monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon stocks and fluxes at a project level is the single largest direct cost of a forest carbon offset project. There are now many methods for estimating forest stocks with high accuracy that use both Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) and high-resolution optical remote sensing data. However, many of these methods are not appropriate for use under existing carbon offset standards and most have not been field tested. Results This paper presents a pixel-based forest stratification method that uses both ALS and optical remote sensing data to optimally partition the variability across an ~10,000 ha forest ownership in Mendocino County, CA, USA. This new stratification approach improved the accuracy of the forest inventory, reduced the cost of field-based inventory, and provides a powerful tool for future management planning. This approach also details a method of determining the optimum pixel size to best partition a forest. Conclusions The use of ALS and optical remote sensing data can help reduce the cost of field inventory and can help to locate areas that need the most intensive inventory effort. This pixel-based stratification method may provide a cost-effective approach to reducing inventory costs over larger areas when the remote sensing data acquisition costs can be kept low on a per acre basis