How do patient factors impact the incidence and prevalence of different types of anemia?

Patients’ factors may have a major impact on anemia incidence. A person’s genetic predisposition can affect the risk of certain anemias. For example, people with sickle-cell trait may be more prone to hemolytic anemias because of their unique red blood cells. Age and gender are also important factors. Certain diseases and disorders, such as anemia due to iron deficiency may affect women more than men because of the blood they lose during their monthly period or children as they grow faster and need more iron.

Certain lifestyle choices can also increase risk—individuals who smoke or use alcohol excessively put themselves at greater risk for developing megaloblastic anemias due to damage inflicted upon the gastrointestinal system by these substances. Furthermore, dietary habits can affect individuals’ levels of essential nutrients like iron and B12 that are necessary for healthy red blood cells; vegetarians and vegans often run into this issue since consuming animal products is typically the best way to obtain sufficient amounts of these vitamins through food sources. Finally, other medical conditions such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis may interfere with absorption of key components needed for proper hematopoiesis leading to decreased production of healthy red blood cells over time if untreated properly.