Magnetic Therapy of Inflammation-Induced Anemia: An Alternative Approach to Treat Anemia

Introduction

Anemia develops when there is a lack of sufficient blood cells to carry oxygenated blood toward body tissues and organs. Individuals who suffer from anemia have symptoms of fatigue, weakness, and cold. Iron deficiency is the most common type that occurs due to deficiency of iron required to produce hemoglobin. Anemia due to inflammation is the second most common type and can result from infection, cancer, chronic kidney diseases, or autoimmune conditions. The use of magnetic field therapy to treat inflammation-induced anemia has gained wider acceptance recently due to non-invasive and cost-effective procedures, which are found to be safer than medications or surgical procedures for disease resolution.

What Is Inflammation-Induced Anemia?

Anemia induced by inflammation is also known as anemia of chronic disease. This is a type of anemia caused by inflammation resulting from systemic conditions. Chronically ill and hospitalized patients are affected by this condition. In this type, there is normal or elevated iron stored in body tissues. However, iron is deficient in the blood. It is caused by inflammation that prevents the body from utilizing stored iron to produce hemoglobin and blood cells, resulting in anemia. Since the elderly population predominantly has chronic disorders that produce inflammation, this form of anemia is common among them.

What Are the Disorders in Which Inflammation-Induced Anemia Can Develop?

The medical disorders which can lead to inflammation-induced anemia are:

• Cancer and hematological malignancies.

• Chronic infections like HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and tuberculosis.

• Immune-mediated diseases.

• Inflammatory diseases.

• Chronic kidney disease, especially those undergoing dialysis.

• Congestive heart failure in whom iron deficiency can impair cardiac performance.

• Chronic pulmonary disease.

• Obesity.

• Anemia develops in the elderly.

• Anemia develops in individuals with severe illness.

What Is the Mechanism Through Which Inflammation-Induced Anemia Develops?

Inflammation-induced anemia can develop through three pathophysiological pathways and are:

1. Iron Restriction: When the immune system is activated, there are significant changes in iron trafficking, leading to iron retention in macrophages and reduced dietary iron absorption. Sequestration of senescent erythrocytes in macrophages is an important step, as 90 percent of the body’s requirements are met through them. Hepcidin is an enzyme that regulates iron by binding to ferroportin (an iron exporter). Therefore, in individuals with inflammation-induced anemia, the increased hepcidin inhibits iron absorption from the duodenum. Therefore, a combination of reduced dietary absorption, iron retention, and cytokine release leads to iron-restricted erythropoiesis.

2. Inflammatory Suppression of Erythropoietic Activity: Erythropoiesis is impaired by reduced production or biological activity of the erythropoietin hormone due to inflammation. When erythropoietin deficiency occurs, there is no efficient induction of hepcidin blockers, therefore leading to hepcidin-mediated erythroid iron limitation.

3. Decreased Erythrocyte Survival: Inflammation could shorten the erythrocyte lifespan. In conditions like acute infection, severe sepsis, critical illness, and high cytokine activation level, the anemia is detected after a few days or hours. This could be because of massive erythrophagocytosis, hemolysis, pooling of erythrocytes, or hemodilution.

What Are the Symptoms of Inflammation-Induced Anemia?

Inflammation-induced anemia is typically mild to moderate and has lower than normal hemoglobin levels. Symptoms appear when anemia becomes severe and may become life-threatening. Individuals with inflammation-induced anemia develop the following symptoms:

• Rapid heartbeat.

• Body aches.

• Fatigue.

• Dizziness.

• Weakness.

• Feeling tired during or after physical activity.

• Shortness of breath.

• Pale skin.

How Is Inflammation-Induced Anemia Diagnosed?

Healthcare professionals can diagnose inflammation-induced anemia with the help of detailed history and blood tests. Blood count estimation by measuring numbers, size, hemoglobin level, and developing red blood cells is necessary. Blood count can be measured with complete blood count and blood smear analysis. Iron stored in the body is analyzed by measuring iron levels in blood, transferrin, and ferritin levels.

How to Treat Inflammation-Induced Anemia?

Doctors can cure inflammation-induced anemia by first resolving underlying medical conditions and then treating anemia. Treating medical conditions can lead to anemia resolution. The following treatments are available:

• Blood Transfusions: In patients with a severe form of inflammation-induced anemia, a blood transfusion may be needed. Administering blood can elevate hemoglobin levels rapidly and boost oxygen supply.

• Medications: Erythropoiesis stimulating agents like epoetin alpha and darbepoetin alpha along with iron supplementation, are used to treat anemia caused by chronic kidney disease, chemotherapy due to cancer, or HIV treatment. The medications stimulate the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. Recombinant human erythropoietin stimulating agents can successfully treat inflammation-induced anemia caused by cancer or renal failure.

• Magnetic Therapy: An alternate method to treat anemia caused by inflammation is by administering a magnetic field to the patient.

However, medications and blood transfusions are known to induce unwanted side effects. Therefore, alternative treatments with magnetic surgery are recommended by healthcare experts.

What Is Meant by Magnetic Therapy for Inflammation-Induced Anemia?

Magnetic therapy is based on the principle that anemia can be treated with oxygen particles present in the blood. First, an external time-oscillating magnetic field is administered to a patient to form electromagnetic waves within body tissues. Electromagnetic waves contain energy that is absorbed by body tissue, resulting in the warming of tissues. It causes the diameters of blood vessels to increase, which ultimately leads to enhanced blood flow. This causes the oxygen particles in the blood to reach the site of inflammation more swiftly and frequently. Therefore, the inflammation that can induce anemia gets cured.

In addition, blood consists of positively or negatively charged particles like calcium ions or other metallic ions. The electromagnetic wave exerts Lorentz force on these charged ions. When electromagnetic waves are applied perpendicular to blood flow, Lorentz force gets applied to ions in a perpendicular direction to blood flow. Therefore, the energy to the ions is increased. The ions hit the walls of blood vessels, during which a part of the energy gets transferred to blood vessels, resulting in their warm-up. With the warming of blood vessels, the diameter is increased, resulting in elevated blood flow. Therefore, oxygen particles in the blood that are necessary to cure inflammation reach the site more rapidly and lead to the resolution of inflammation.

Lorentz forces can also be applied with static electric and magnetic fields. Therefore, the treatment of inflammation-induced anemia with static electromagnetic fields is much simpler than with time-oscillating electromagnetic fields.

Conclusion

Magnetic therapy has been used in recent years to treat anemia. The electronic waves produced by magnetic field administration enhance blood flow and lead to their warming up. Therefore, the oxygen particles within the blood are energized and reach the site of inflammation, resulting in anemia resolution. However, this method can be used after treating the underlying cause of inflammation-induced anemia. More studies are required to use magnetic therapy as a mainstream treatment for anemia.