Final answer:
Iron deficiency anemia is caused by a lack of iron necessary for hemoglobin and red blood cell production, while anemia of chronic disease is associated with long-standing health conditions affecting red blood cell production. Laboratory differences include iron, ferritin, TIBC, and RDW levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic disease lies mainly in their causes and the labs used to diagnose them. Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by the body's lack of sufficient iron to produce adequate heme for red blood cells, often due to a diet low in iron, poor absorption, or chronic bleeding. This condition results in decreased hemoglobin content in the blood, generally between 5 to 9 g/100 ml, and is particularly prevalent among children, adolescent girls, nursing mothers, and women of childbearing age due to menstruation.
Anemia of chronic disease, on the other hand, is associated with long-standing health conditions such as infections, inflammatory diseases or cancer, that interfere with the production of red blood cells or their lifespan. Laboratory findings for iron deficiency anemia typically show low serum iron, low ferritin, high total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and a high red cell distribution width (RDW). Conversely, labs for anemia of chronic disease usually indicate normal or increased ferritin, normal or low TIBC, normal or low serum iron, and less variation in RDW.