LISA CAPALDINI, MD: Anemia means you don't have enough red blood cells, and anemia is very common in advanced HIV disease and less common in earlier stages. So if you look at HIV people across the board, probably about 30% of people are anemic, with people with advanced AIDS being over 50% anemia and people with early HIV being under 10%.
RENEE KEMP: Is anemia something that is routinely diagnosed?
LISA CAPALDINI, MD: Anemia is routinely diagnosable, although it's often not noted by clinicians or patients. What I mean by that is when you get a T cell count, you normally get a blood test called a complete blood count, of which blood cell analysis is part of that. Usually, the data is there. It's a matter of the clinician and the patient noting that anemia is present and deciding to do something about it.
RENEE KEMP: What is it that causes anemia among people who live with HIV?
LISA CAPALDINI, MD: Well, worldwide, outside of HIV, the biggest causes of anemia are nutritional problems -- iron deficiency and vitamin deficiency. In people with HIV disease, vitamin deficiencies are possible, but relatively uncommon as causes of anemia. More often, anemia can be caused by medications, certain antivirals, certain drugs that are used to treat infections, chemotherapeutic agents. Some opportunistic infections, like mycobacterium avium, can cause anemia. Occasionally, people have what are called autoimmune conditions where their body destroys their own red blood cells.
