Common causes of anemia include dietary deficiencies, blood loss, bone marrow suppression, and what else?

• A. RBC destruction
• B. Increased RBC production
• C. Dehydration
• D. Infection

Answer: (A)

A common way anemia develops is through red blood cell destruction, so the missing factor is hemolysis. When red cells are destroyed faster than the bone marrow can replace them, circulating RBCs drop and anemia results. This destruction can be intrinsic to the red cell (such as membrane defects, enzyme deficiencies, or hemoglobin abnormalities) or due to extrinsic factors (like autoimmune attack, mechanical destruction from faulty valves or devices, or certain infections).

Increased RBC production isn’t consistent with anemia, since producing more cells would raise, not lower, RBC mass. Dehydration can change measured concentrations but doesn’t create true anemia from a production or loss standpoint. Infection can contribute to anemia in other ways (like anemia of inflammation) but the classic categorical cause that fits the pattern is increased destruction of red cells.