Pernicious Anemia Essay

Although cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes are surely the most mentioned chronic diseases that may become increasingly prevalent among the aging population due to genetics or undesired lifestyle choices in the earlier years of life, there is another serious illness that can negatively affect the nutritional well-being of the already at-risk elderly. Sadly, this chronic disease often goes undetected completely or until signs of weakness, tingling sensations in the extremities, memory loss, and depression begin to show, requiring a physician to diagnose the symptoms in question. Pernicious anemia is this very condition, defined as a lower than usual number of red blood cells due to a deficiency in Vitamin B12, which functions to produce red blood cells needed to transport valuable nutrients to other tissues throughout the body. What is one of the most common ways to develop a pernicious anemia besides simply not consuming the recommended 2.4 micrograms per day for older adults? Vitamin B12 absorption occurs by way of a stomach protein called intrinsic factor, specifically made by parietal cells located in this digestive organ. With increasing age, the body may begin to destroy these cells that produce intrinsic …show more content…
This is most likely due to the fact that Vitamin B12 also functions to maintain proper functioning of the central nervous system, which is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. Over time, the intricate brain, the body’s main control mechanism, may consequently decrease in function with the constant loss of B12, leaving temporary effects if it is treated or lasting effects if it goes untreated for too long. So how can the risk of dementia, as well as the other symptoms of the deficiency, be reduced or perhaps partly