Impact of Anemia on the Medical Cost of Injurious Falls in the Elderly

Background: Anemia is common in the elderly (≥65) and increases with age, reaching 26% in community dwelling (CD) men 85 yrs and older. Falls, especially those leading to serious injuries such as a fracture or head injury, affect about 10% of the CD elderly. The prevalence of anemia and the occurrence of falls is even higher in nursing home residents. Falls in the elderly are a significant cause of functional disability and significantly increase health care burden. This analysis was performed to determine if the presence of anemia significantly increases medical costs related to injurious falls (IF) in the CD elderly. Methods: A retrospective economic analysis of medical claims from over 30 health plans from 01/1999 through 04/2004 was conducted. Patients ≥65 years with ≥1 hemoglobin (Hb) reading were selected. An open-cohort design was employed to classify patients’ observation period into anemic and non-anemic periods. Anemia was defined as Hb