Anemia of chronic disease, also known as anemia of inflammatory response, is a common type of anemia seen in patients with chronic illnesses like infections, immune disorders, or cancers. Recent research has found that the liver protein hepcidin, which regulates iron metabolism, plays a central role in causing this anemia by blocking the release of iron stores during inflammation. Hepcidin increases during inflammation and prevents the release of iron, leading to insufficient iron availability for red blood cell production. While locking up iron is beneficial in the short term for fighting infection, prolonged inflammation and iron sequestration can severely limit the bone marrow's ability to produce red blood cells. The ideal treatment is resolving the underlying chronic disease, but otherwise patients