Disease Database Drug Database Alt.
Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells.
Anemia occurs due to insufficient production of red blood cells, excessive destruction of red blood cells, or blood loss. When these building blocks are in short supply, bone marrow production of red blood cells declines. Conditions in which excessive destruction occur include thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, and certain auto-immune diseases, when the immune system reacts against the body's own tissues. Red cell destruction can also occur as a side effect of some drugs and toxins, and in people with prosthetic heart valves. Anemia due to blood loss is most common in women of child-bearing age due to menstruation.