Conversation: The conversation between human and AI assistant.
[|Human|] I am a male 48 obese with sleep apnea. I do use a bpap machine. Had blood work done and I came back slightly anemic.  Hemoglobin was like 12.  Everything else appeared to be fine. Should I be concerned about major problems causing the low red blood cell count or is it likely something that can be treated with diet. And supplements?
[|AI|]  At 48 years. The cause for your anemia needs to be evaluated. Anemia may be either due to excessive blood loss or faulty production. If no obvious blood loss is visible, the tests need to be done to find occult causes. For example microscopic blood loss from the GI tract may be found by testing for stool occult blood. If this does not yield any positive result then a search for deficiencies of raw materials including iron, vitamins need to be done. The manufacturing apparatus that is the bone marrow need to be examined. Peripheral blood smear will help. Once the cause of anemia is established and treated, management of anemia becomes simple. Taking only supplements for correction of anemia may not help much in the long run. So, its advisable that you consult your physician, do a thorough evaluation and then decide with the physician regarding the best future course of action, whether supplements or whatever.