Iron-deficiency Anemia and Your Cognitive Function

Anemia is the most common blood disorder worldwide. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder and accounts for approximately one-half of anemia cases¹.

Iron deficiency affects more than 2 billion people worldwide. However, the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia has recently decreased , but iron deficiency is still common cause of anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is dangerous for young children and premenopausal women². Pregnant women should be screened during pregnancy. Children must check for it at one years old. But if you are men or postmenoupausal women, you won’t need this screening anymore but you’ll need gastrointestinal endoscopy when you are diagnosed¹.

It is chronic and frequently asymptomatic so this disease go undiagnosed if you don’t check your hemoglobin level and iron stores. Weakness, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, and poor work productivity are nonspecific symptoms. This symptoms happen because of low delivery of oxygen to human tissues and decreased activity of iron-containing enzymes. There are nonhematological effects that may not respond to iron therapy. What is that ? Yes, these are the signs of iron deficiency in the tissues. For example, decreased cognitive performance and delayed mental and motor development in children³.

Reference

¹Short, M. Iron deficiency anemia: evaluation and management,  Am Fam Physician 2013; 87: 98-104.

²McLean E, Cogswell M, Egli I, Wojdyla D, de Benoist B. Worldwide prevalence of anaemia, WHO Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System, 1993-2005. Public Health Nutr 2009;12: 444-54.

³Camaschella, C. Iron-Deficiency Anemia, N Engl J Med 2015;372: 1832-1843.