In the world there are more than 4,000 million people with iron deficiency and of these, 15% of the world population suffers from iron deficiency anemia. most are women
Anemia caused by iron deficiency is one of the most common.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the world there are more than 4,000 million people with iron deficiency and of these, 15% of the world population suffers from iron deficiency anemia.
And we are talking about “a real public health problem,” says the doctor Ana Villegaspresident of the Spanish Group of Erythropathology (GEE), of the Spanish Society of Hematology and Hemotherapy (SEHH).
Iron is an essential metal for cellular metabolism involved in energy production, oxygen transport and DNA biosynthesis. Therefore, its deficit leads to a series of alterations of vital functions, which produce diseases.
Hence, it must be treated early, before it leads to iron deficiency anemia, a more advanced state of iron deficiency.
In Spain, “it is estimated that 20% of women of childbearing age, 40% of pregnant women and 15% of adolescents have iron deficiency anemia,” according to this expert. “These figures increase considerably in premature infants,” she adds.
In addition, it affects 10% of infants and preschoolers, and 5% of the elderly. Among the latter, the percentage can reach 20% among those over 85 years of age and 50% among those who are hospitalized.
Tiredness, fatigue, dizziness… check your iron levels
In general, the iron levels in our body do not fall from one day to the next, but rather it is a gradual process. This means that at first we do not feel any discomfort and that the deficit goes completely unnoticed.
But as levels of this essential metal decline, some of these symptoms may appear:
- Fatigue and weakness, the most frequent signs of iron deficiency.
- Headaches.
- Low body temperature.
- Pale or yellowish skin.
- Fast or irregular heartbeat.
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain, especially when we do some physical activity.
- Nails that break easily.
- hair loss
A few blood tests will be enough to determine how the iron levels are. And if they are low, that is, if there is iron deficiency anemia, in most cases the treatment will consist of taking iron orally.
But on some occasions we will find patients with more severe iron anemia, and it is possible that oral drugs are not enough for them.
In these cases, hematology specialists will decide on the possibility of administering the treatment intravenously. A form of administration that is also used when the patient requires a rapid supply of iron.
As he explains Dr. Angel F. Remacha, hematologist at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
- “In general, 4-8 weeks after starting this treatment, the patient’s clinical situation should be reassessed.”
- “And in the case of chronic anemia, a maintenance guideline must be established to avoid relapses,” he adds.
Types of iron deficiency
SEHH specialists classify iron deficiency into three types:
- Absolute iron deficiency, is the most studied and frequent. It is characterized by low levels of ferritin, a cell protein responsible for storing iron.
This deficit normally appears in children, pregnant women or women of childbearing age and in the elderly. And it is usually caused by some type of blood loss, such as menstruation, blood donation, ulcers or polyps.
- Functional iron deficiency. It usually occurs in people with chronic kidney disease under treatment. It is caused by the “inability to mobilize sufficient iron from stores.”
- iron kidnapping. This type of deficit usually occurs in people with infection, inflammation or cancer.
This deficit normally appears in children, pregnant women or women of childbearing age and in the elderly.
It is usually caused by some type of blood loss, such as menstruation, blood donation, ulcers or polyps.
Groups most affected by iron deficiency
One of the population groups among which iron deficiency anemia is very common are pregnant women. The lack of this metal during pregnancy “is a risk for both the woman and the fetus,” says Dr. Remacha.
Based on estimates from low- and middle-income countries, he adds:
- “It would be the cause of 12% of low birth weight newborns, 19% of premature babies and 18% of perinatal mortality.”
In these cases, when oral treatment is not enough, intravenous iron “is a good alternative to transfusion from the second trimester of pregnancy.”
Furthermore, as explained by Doctor Montserrat Lopez Rubiofrom the Hematology Service of the Príncipe de Asturias University Hospital, in Alcalá de Henares:
- “Iron deficiency is also frequent among athletes, especially in children and menstruating women -where it can reach a prevalence of up to 50%-, in high-resistance sports practitioners and in those disciplines with a high incidence of disorders of feeding”.
Iron deficiency in athletes decreases physical performance, along with other characteristic effects, such as asthenia, hair loss or nail brittleness.
This clinical situation “should be treated with oral iron and intravenous therapy should only be considered when oral iron fails or immediate restoration is needed.”