About 1 in 10 older adults in Italy are anemic, a new study shows, and the condition raises the risk of disability, poor physical function and reduced muscle strength.

These effects “can threaten the independence of older adults,” lead author Dr. Brenda W. J. H. Penninx, from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, said in a statement. “Physicians should be aware of their older patients’ anemia status, even if there is no apparent disease.”

The findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, are based on data from 1156 older adults living in the Chianti area of Italy.

Anemia was detected by measuring specific levels of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component in blood, for women and men, and a variety of measures were used to assess disability, physical performance, and muscle strength.

The researchers found that 11.1 percent of men and 11.5 percent of women were anemic.

Participants with anemia had an average of nearly two disabilities, whereas non-anemic people averaged about one. Those with anemia scored significantly worse than their non-anemic counterparts on a standard test of physical performance. Leg strength and handgrip strength were also significantly weaker in the anemia group.

“Our research suggests that anemia deserves more attention,” Penninx said. “We need to learn whether treatment can help restore physical function or prevent a physical decline.”

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, May 20046.