Anaemia

A person with anaemia has too few oxygen-carrying red blood cells, or an abnormally low level of the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin in their blood. This reduces their blood’s ability to carry oxygen around the body.

Anaemia can have many short- and long-term consequences. People who are anaemic often experience fatigue, and may experience heart problems and an increased susceptibility to infections. Anaemia in pregnant women or young children increases their susceptibility to pregnancy-associated complications, including prematurity and low birth weight, and can cause long-term developmental problems for the child.

Haemoglobin molecules (red) bound to oxygen (blue). From WEHI.TV animation Haemoglobin and Sickle Cell Anaemia

In Australia and around the world, iron deficiency is a major cause of anaemia. This is often due to a lack of iron in the diet, but can also be a sign of other conditions that prevent iron absorption in the gut, such as coeliac disease or bowel cancer. Anaemia can also be caused by faulty regulation of iron levels, which can occur because of inflammatory conditions.

Pregnant women and young children have particularly high requirements for iron, and are at higher risk of iron deficiency anaemia.

Some forms of anaemia, such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia, are caused by inherited genetic changes. Anaemia can also be caused by problems with blood cell production, including by damage to blood stem cells that occurs during cancer treatments.

When a person is diagnosed with anaemia, the underlying cause should be understood and addressed – for example, a person with coeliac disease may need treatment for this condition, which may improve their anaemia.

Severe cases of anaemia can be managed in the short-term through blood transfusions. However, this does not address the underlying cause of the anaemia.

Iron-deficiency anaemia can be managed by providing extra iron, either as a tablet or powder, or as an intravenous infusion.

Our researchers are investigating the best ways to deliver iron to combat deficiency, particularly for women and children living in low-income countries.