Anemia of chronic blood loss is most commonly which type of anemia?

• A. Aplastic anemia
• B. Iron deficiency anemia
• C. Sideroblastic anemia
• D. Hemolytic anemia

Answer: (B)

Chronic blood loss causes iron to be drained from the body faster than it can be replenished, so iron deficiency anemia is the most common result of ongoing loss. As iron stores (ferritin) become depleted, serum iron falls, total iron-binding capacity rises, and red blood cells become microcytic and hypochromic. This pattern specifically ties the cause (repeated loss) to the consequence (low iron available for hemoglobin synthesis). The other listed conditions don’t fit this scenario: aplastic anemia stems from bone marrow failure causing pancytopenia; sideroblastic anemia involves impaired heme synthesis with iron-loaded mitochondria and ring sideroblasts; hemolytic anemia is due to increased red cell destruction with signs of hemolysis and a high reticulocyte count. Thus, iron deficiency anemia best explains anemia from chronic blood loss.