What is the most common cause of anemia of chronic disease?

What is the most common cause of anemia of chronic disease?

Any chronic disease that causes inflammation is likely to cause anemia of chronic disease. If you have a chronic disease, your disease may affect your red blood cells. These are blood cells carrying oxygen throughout your body.

Your bone marrow is constantly making new red blood cells to replace dying or damaged red blood cells. Most red blood cells live for about 120 days. A chronic disease may make red blood cells die sooner than usual or slow down red blood cell production. Here’s how a chronic disease may change your red blood cells:

• Your body normally recycles the iron in old red blood cells to make new red blood cells. In anemia of chronic disease, a system of cells called macrophages traps the recycled iron. That means your body has less iron to help create new red blood cells.
• Anemia of chronic disease affects how your cells metabolize iron.