Correct Assessment of Iron Depletion and Iron Deficiency Anemia

ABSTRACT Objective: Study the prevalence of iron depletion and iron-deficiency anemia and their associated factors in preschool children. Methods: Cross-sectional study with five-year old preschool children from a birth cohort of the city of Diamantina, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Socioeconomic, demographic, and dietary characteristics were obtained through a questionnaire administered to each child mother or guardian. Iron depletion (normal hemoglobin and low serum ferritin levels) and iron-deficiency anemia (hemoglobin level than 11g/dL) were detected after collecting 5mL of venous blood of preschool children. Poisson regression was used to identify the factors associated with iron depletion and iron-deficiency anemia. Results: A total of 228 preschool were evaluated, corresponding to 97.4% of the children from a cohort study followed-up up to the end of their first year of life. Iron depletion and iron-deficiency anemia were detected, respectively, in 15.9% and 18.9% of the preschool children evaluated. Iron depletion was not associated with any variable studied, while low maternal education level was associated with iron-deficiency anemia (PR=1.83; P=0.03). Conclusion: Iron-deficiency anemia is considered as a mild public health problem among 5-year old children in the city of Diamantina, Minas Gerais. Higher maternal education level was a protective factor against this deficiency, and therefore it is as an important marker for the occurrence of iron-deficiency anemia in the population studied.

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Macrophage Iron, Hepcidin, and Atherosclerotic Plaque Stability

Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.3181/0703-mr-54 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 232 (8) ◽

pp. 1014-1020 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

Jerome l. Sullivan

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Iron Deficiency Anemia ◽

Atherosclerotic Plaque ◽

Animal Studies ◽

Iron Concentration ◽

Normal Subjects ◽

Lesion Size ◽

The Body ◽

Deficiency Anemia ◽

Iron Depletion

Hepcidin has emerged as the key hormone in the regulation of iron balance and recycling. Elevated levels increase iron in macrophages and inhibit gastrointestinal iron uptake. The physiology of hepcidin suggests an additional mechanism by which iron depletion could protect against atherosclerotic lesion progression. Without hepcidin, macrophages retain less iron. Very low hepcidin levels occur in iron deficiency anemia and also in homozygous hemochromatosis. There is defective retention of iron in macrophages in hemochromatosis and also evidently no increase in atherosclerosis in this disorder. In normal subjects with intact hepcidin responses, atherosclerotic plaque has been reported to have roughly an order of magnitude higher iron concentration than that in healthy arterial wall. Hepcidin may promote plaque destabilization by preventing iron mobilization from macrophages within atherosclerotic lesions; the absence of this mobilization may result in increased cellular iron loads, lipid peroxidation, and progression to foam cells. Marked downregulation of hepcidin (e.g., by induction of iron deficiency anemia) could accelerate iron loss from intralesional macrophages. It is proposed that the minimally proatherogenic level of hepcidin is near the low levels associated with iron deficiency anemia or homozygous hemochromatosis. Induced iron deficiency anemia intensely mobilizes macrophage iron throughout the body to support erythropoiesis. Macrophage iron in the interior of atherosclerotic plaques is not exempt from this process. Decreases in both intralesional iron and lesion size by systemic iron reduction have been shown in animal studies. It remains to be confirmed in humans that a period of systemic iron depletion can decrease lesion size and increase lesion stability as demonstrated in animal studies. The proposed effects of hepcidin and iron in plaque progression offer an explanation of the paradox of no increase in atherosclerosis in patients with hemochromatosis despite a key role of iron in atherogenesis in normal subjects.

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Prevalence and Risk Factors for Iron Deficiency Anemia and Iron Depletion During Pregnancy: A Prospective Study

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.6808 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (9) ◽

pp. 514 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ana Gomes da Costa ◽

Sara Vargas ◽

Nuno Clode ◽

Luís M. Graça

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Iron Deficiency ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Iron Deficiency Anemia ◽

Maternal Age ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Deficiency Anemia ◽

Iron Depletion ◽

A Prospective Study

Introduction: Anemia and iron deficiency during pregnancy are a worldwide concern and are more frequent among women of reproductive age, pregnant women, and young children. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and the risk factors for iron depletion during the first half of pregnancy, in a Portuguese population.Material and Methods: A prospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital and included pregnant women, until the 20th week of gestation. Data was collected regarding demographic and pregnancy features and hemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations were determined. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify potential risk factors for iron deficiency.Results: Two hundred and one women were included, from which five (2.49%) presented anemia. Additionally, 77 (38.3%) exhibited iron deficiency and 22 (10.9%) revealed severe iron depletion. Maternal age was the only risk factor identified. The odds ratio (OR) was equal to 12.99 (95% CI 2.41 - 70.0) for women under twenty years of age and 2.09 (95% CI 1.05 - 4.14) for women older than thirty years of age.Discussion and Conclusion: The prevalence of maternal anemia in the first half of pregnancy was lower than in other studies. However, more than one-third of the women exhibited iron deficiency. With the exception of maternal age, no other risk factors were identified.

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Prevalence of Iron Depletion and Anemia in Top-level Basketball Players

International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism ◽

10.1123/ijsnem.14.1.30 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 30-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Gal Dubnov ◽

Naama W. Constantini

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Iron Deficiency Anemia ◽

Blood Count ◽

Complete Blood Count ◽

Iron Status ◽

Transferrin Saturation ◽

Deficiency Anemia ◽

Iron Store ◽

Basketball Players ◽

Iron Depletion

Iron depletion, with or without anemia, may have a negative effect on physical and mental performance. Even with current recognition of the problem, its incidence among athletes remains high. Most studies describe iron status in endurance athletes. This study examined the prevalence of iron depletion and anemia among male and female top-level basketball players. Adolescents and adults (N = 103) from 8 national basketball teams were screened for anemia and iron stores status, which included a complete blood count and levels of plasma ferritin, transferrin, and serum iron. Iron depletion, defined by a ferritin level below 20 μg/L, was found among 22% of study participants (15% in males vs. 35% in females, p = .019). Anemia was found among 25% of athletes (18% in males vs. 38% in females, p = .028). Iron deficiency anemia, defined by the presence of anemia, ferritin levels below 12 μg/L, and transferrin saturation below 16%, was found among 7% of players (3% in males vs. 14% in females, p = .043). In summary, a high prevalence of iron depletion, anemia, and iron deficiency anemia was found among basketball players of both genders. We recommend screening ballgame players for blood count and iron store status, and providing nutritional counseling and iron supplementation when necessary.

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Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Infants of Diabetic Mothers at the Age of 6 to 12 Months

Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand ◽

10.35755/jmedassocthai.2020.12.11055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 103 (12) ◽

pp. 1262-1268

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Iron Deficiency Anemia ◽

Iron Status ◽

Transferrin Saturation ◽

Deficiency Anemia ◽

Iron Depletion ◽

Iron Storage ◽

Infants Of Diabetic Mothers ◽

History Of ◽

Diabetic Mothers

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are worldwide problems in infants. The infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) usually have low iron storage at birth. Therefore, they are at risk for developing ID and IDA during late infancy. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ID and IDA in IDMs aged 6 to 12 months and to identify the risk factors associated with abnormal iron status. Materials and Methods: The present study was a prospective descriptive study conducted in healthy, full-term, IDMs between the ages of 6 to 12 months. Growth and dietary history of IDMs as well as maternal history of diabetes were evaluated. Anemia and iron status were determined by hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and transferrin saturation. Results: Of the 50 IDMs, the prevalence of ID was 46%, and iron depletion was 14%. IDA was found in 11 IDMs. Although the gender, gestational age, birthweight, and the age of complementary food introduction were not found to be associated with abnormal iron status, infants with ID and iron depletion were more likely to be breastfed, or breastfed longer than six months, when compared to iron sufficient infants (p<0.001). No exclusively breastfed infants had iron sufficiency in the study. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of ID and IDA in IDMs. Therefore, screening for iron status along with anemia is crucial in IDMs at an earlier age. Moreover, iron supplementation starting at four months should be considered in IDMs who were exclusively or mainly breastfed. Keywords: Anemia, Iron deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia, Infants of diabetes mothers

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