Haemoglobin Cutoffs for Anaemia: Clinical and Public Health Implications
Main Article Content
Abstract
Anaemia is a global public health problem affecting individuals and populations across the globe. Properly diagnosing anaemia and determining its type are important in guiding appropriate interventions and public health strategies. In this review article, we highlight the importance of understanding the cutoff points for haemoglobin concentration in anaemia diagnosis among clinicians and public health professionals. This review investigates the role of haemoglobin in identifying anaemia, establishing cut-off values that are applicable, as well as discussing the population health management implications of haemoglobin thresholds. Also discussed herein are WHO guidelines for defining anaemia based on haemoglobin cutoffs including adjustment for external factors and classification according to their public health significance.
Article Details
Section
How to Cite
References
1. Patel S, Jose A, Mohiuddin SS. Physiology, Oxygen Transport And Carbon Dioxide Dissociation Curve. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539815/
2. Chaparro CM, Suchdev PS. Anemia epidemiology, pathophysiology, and etiology in low- and middle-income countries. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019;1450(1):15-31.
3. Turner J, Parsi M, Badireddy M. Anemia. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499994/
4. Safiri, S., Kolahi, AA., Noori, M. et al. Burden of anemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. J Hematol Oncol 14, 185 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-021-01202-2
5. Addo OY, Yu EX, Williams AM, Young MF, Sharma AJ, Mei Z, Kassebaum NJ, Jefferds MED, Suchdev PS. Evaluation of Hemoglobin Cutoff Levels to Define Anemia Among Healthy Individuals. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(8):e2119123.
6. World Health Organization. (2024). Guideline on haemoglobin cutoffs to define anaemia in individuals and populations. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/376196