MICROCYTIC AND MACROCYTIC ANEMIA RELATED MORBIDITY

The heterodimer hemoglobin found in red blood cells is the protein responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to the extremities and carrying deoxygenated blood and carbon dioxide from these areas back to the heart for recycling. Hemoglobin also facilitates nutrient intake and waste expulsion—allowing one to breathe and exhale. In turn, possessing a lack of this vital protein can lead to the onset of many health-related problems. The lack of normal red blood cells, and therefore hemoglobin, is medically diagnosed as anemia. Red blood cells must be of the proper size and shape in order to carry an ideal amount of hemoglobin to transport substances, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, throughout the body. Individuals with microcytic or macrocytic anemia are often at risk of developing further disease. To understand how macrocytic and microcytic anemic individuals vary in their comorbidities compared to nonanemic individuals, the MIMIC III database was analyzed. Patients were categorized as microcytic, macrocytic, or nonanemic using mean corpuscular volume, and the disease prevalence of each group was then compared to assess whether different anemia types lead to different disease risks. After the data analysis process was complete, it was found that individuals possessing macrocytic and microcytic anemia possessed different comorbidities, especially compared to normocytic anemic individuals.