Evaluating and Treating Active Patients for Anemia

In brief

Anemia affects many active patients, from young female recreational athletes to elite male competitors. The treatment may simply be iron supplementation, but the causes of iron-deficiency anemia are many, including poor nutrition, exercise-induced hemoglobinuria or hematuria, gastritis, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcer disease, angiodysplasia, and adenocarcinoma. Therefore, physicians need to do a thorough evaluation that includes a medical history, family medical history, drug history, physical exam, and referral to a gastroenterologist if necessary.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Raymond J. Browne

Dr Browne is an internist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama, an internal medicine consultant with Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, and a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American College of Physicians.