A recent study led by Yale School of Medicine investigates why more adult women should test for iron deficiency.
According to a release, “recent studies suggest that 14% of U.S. adults and 38% of reproductive age women are iron deficient. Worldwide, this issue may impact as many as 2 billion people.” Untreated, iron deficiency can lead to more serious conditions, like anemia. Untreated patients also suffer unnecessary symptoms, according to the study’s lead author.
The study analyzed women of “reproductive age.” Various groups were investigated: “no screening, annual screening at 15 micrograms of ferritin per liter, and annual screening at 25 micrograms per liter.” The group that received yearly ferritin testing at 25 micrograms per liter “maximized lifetime benefits without amplifying risk such as unnecessary treatment and allergic reaction.”
The authors hope this study aids future guidelines. The study is published in the American Journal of Hematology.
