The journal of trauma and acute care surgery
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Hypercatecholaminemia and bone marrow dysfunction have been implicated in the pathophysiology of persistent injury-associated anemia. The elderly may be more vulnerable to bone marrow dysfunction due to high basal and peak catecholamine levels and impaired hematopoietic progenitor growth. We hypothesized that aging would adversely affect persistent injury-associated anemia. ⋯ Compared with young rats, aged rats had less HPC mobilization despite elevated basal and peak norepinephrine. Aged rats were disproportionately affected by impaired hematopoietic progenitor growth and an iron-restricted red blood cell phenotype at baseline, which persisted 7 days after injury. Further research is needed to assess how the clinical approach to persistent injury-associated anemia should differ for elderly trauma patients.