Iron deficiency anemia prevalence

Attention to iron metabolism is particularly important in women for the reason mentioned above. Additionally, in pregnancy, allowances must be made for the growing fetus. Older people with poor dietary habits ( tea and toasters ) may develop iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia due to inadequate intake, inadequate utilization, or excessive loss of iron is one of the most prevalent conditions seen in medical practice. 

Transferrin binds iron, transporting it to sites where it is required. Ferritin provides an intracellular store of iron. Iron deficiency anemia is a very prevalent disorder. Hereditary hemochromatosis has been shown to be due to mutations in HFE, a gene encoding the protein HFE, which appeats to play an important role in absorption of iron. 

Iron status is improved in most oral contraceptive users because of reduced menstrual blood loss an important benefit of oral contraceptive use is therefore a reduction in the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (187). Much of the relevant research has been with higher dosages than are currently used. However, a study of a low-dose... 

Iron availability is low in rice and maize-based phytate-rich Third World diets, and blood losses due to hook-worm infections are frequent in these countries. Iron deficiency is the most widespread micronutrient deficiency besides vitamin A and iodide. The prevalence of iron deficiency may be as high as 60% in Third World pre-school children, and almost half of these children (26%) show iron-deficiency anemia (Romero-Abal et al. 1995). However, about half of the even higher prevalence for anemia of up to 70% in African women and children (Quar-shie and Amoaful 1998) seems attributable to inflammation and parasitic infections (Asobayire et al. 2001) and other micronutrient deficiencies, rather than to iron deficiency (Allen et al. 2000). Hypochromic microcytic iron-deficiency anemia reduces physical work capacity, and both show a close correlation (Dallman 1982). As the brain is luxuriously perfused with blood, impairment of intellectual performance in anemia is a very variable symptom. Anemia at an age of 12-18 months seems to compromise the infant s intellectual development. To what extent such deficits in intelligence can be compensated during later development at adequate iron supply levels has been discussed, somewhat controversially, by Walter (1993) and Pollitt (2001). 

Decrease in prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among pregnant and lactating women and children aged 6 to 59 months... 

Anemia is defined by abnormally low circulating hemoglobin concentrations. A variety of etiologies exist for anemia, including dietary deficiencies of folate or vitamin B12 (pernicious or macrocytic anemia), infections and inflammatory states (anemia of chronic disease), and conditions that result in insufficient production of red blood cells (aplastic anemia) or excessive destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia). However, worldwide, the most prevalent form of anemia is that of iron deficiency, which causes anemia characterized by hypochromic and normo- or microcytic red blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia remains a health problem in both the developed and the developing world. This article discusses the metabolism of iron the assessment of iron deficiency iron requirements across the life span and the consequences, prevention, and treatment of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. 

Prevalence of Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia... 

Iron deficiency anemia affects some athletes engaged in intensive training and competition, but it seems that the prevalence is the same in athletic... 

Infancy Iron supplementation in infants is sometimes advised to prevent iron deficiency, even in populations with a relatively low prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia. The US Institute of Medicine, for example, recommends iron drops for exclusively breast-fed infants between 4 and 6 months of age. There is ample evidence from well-designed and controlled studies to show that iron supplementation in infancy significantly improves hemoglobin and ferritin levels, and studies are currently investigating the impact of iron supplementation on dimensions of cognitive development. The benefits and risks of infant iron supplementation, however, remain... 

One of the most prevalent clinical problems observed in the elderly is anemia, although it is not an inevitable outcome of aging. The anemia is associated with an increased risk of mortality, poor health, and decreased physical functioning. Those with iron deficiency may have concurrent folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency. 

Asobayiee FS, Adou P, Davidsson L, Cook JD and Hueeell re (2001) Prevalence of iron deficiency with and without concurrent anemia in population groups with high prevalence of malaria and other infections a study in Cote d Ivoire. Am J Clin Nutr 74 776-782. 

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in humans [8]. It has been estimated that 750 million people suffer from iron deficiency. Moreover, about 250 million people apparently experience overload diseases, generally secondary to hemolytic anemias. 

Little dispute exists that iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency the world over. In developing countries it is prevalent to a greater extent than in the more affluent nations. It is common in Colombia, Symptomatology is related to systemic affects of iron deficiency rather than the anemia alone, and the severity of symptoms is not correlated with the degree of anemia. 

The most common cause of iron overload is thalassemia, particularly in the parts of the world where it is prevalent (see earlier section). Indeed, the cardiac complications of iron overload are among the most common causes of death in I-thalassemia major. Sideroblastic anemias are a group of iron-loading disorders, many of which are of unknown cause. In a hereditary type of this disorder, there is deficiency of erythroid specific 5-aminolevulinic acid synthetase in RBC precursors because of mutations involving the X-linked gene that encodes this enzyme. Iron storage is common in patients with congenital dyserythropoietic anemia and may be found in patients with red cell enzyme deficiencies, particularly pyruvate kinase deficiency. ... 

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