Iron Deficiency Anemia

Anemia is defined as a condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells, hemoglobin, or both or deficient in total volume. Iron deficiency anemia is the lack of iron to form normal red blood cells. Iron is imperative for almost all organisms because of its ability to donate and accept electrons with relative ease (Pantopoulos et al., 2012). Iron is required for cellular metabolic functions, oxygen carrying proteins, and cell growth and development. Those affected the most by iron deficiency anemia are children, women, and obese adults. The causes of it can range from low iron absorption to blood loss. Maintaining iron homeostasis is important to the well being of humans because iron can be toxic. The main regulator of iron is hepcidin, which is a small peptide hormone produced by the liver (Tussing-Humphreys et al., 2012). There are treatments for iron deficiency anemia, however, they all have restrictions.

Iron deficiency in the body limits the synthesis of heme, a prosthetic group of hemoglobin that in turn confines the synthesis of hemoglobin and decreases the production of red blood cells (RBCs) in the bone marrow resulting in anemia. The life span of red blood cells lowers because of the iron deficiency and even accelerates eryptosis. The removal of red blood cells during anemia can be attributed to an increase in membrane stiffness and a decrease in deformability, which decreases the ability of red blood cells to pass through the spleen without being removed (Nagababu et al., 2008).

Iron is essential to virtually all living organisms and is integral to multiple metabolic functions (Naigamwalla et al, 2012). It is the second most common metal on earth and has a redox potential that ranges from +1000mV to -550mV...

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...isms and Mutations of Human TMPRSS6 in Iron Deficiency Anemia. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 44(1):16

Yavasoglu, Kadikoylu, Uysal, Ertug, and Bolaman. 2008. Is Blastocystis hominis a new etiologic factor or a coincidence in iron deficiency anemia?. European Journal of Haematology. 81. 47-50.

Bayraktar and Bayraktar. 2010. Treatment of iron deficiency anemia associated with gastrointestinal tract diseases. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 16(22). 2720-2725.

Nagababu, Gulyani, Earley, Cutler, Mattson, and Rifkind. 2008. Iron-Deficiency Anemia Enhances Red Blood Cell Oxidative Stress. Free Radic Res. 42(9). 824-829.

Tussing-Humphreys, Pustacioglu, Nemeth, and Braunschweig. 2012. Rethinking Iron Regulation and Assessment in Iron Deficiency, Anemia of Chronic Disease, and Obesity: Introducing Hepcidin. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 112(3). 391-400.