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The ideal is to increase the body's iron deposits, measured as levels of ferritin in serum, with the aim of reaching a ferritin value between 30 and 100 ng/mL. Another clinical study has shown an increase in ferritin levels in those taking iron compared with others receiving a placebo from persons with LID. [11]
Iron can be stored in ferritin as ferric iron due to the ferroxidase activity of the ferritin heavy chain. [28] Dysfunctional ferritin may accumulate as hemosiderin, which can be problematic in cases of iron overload. [29] The ferritin storage iron pool is much larger than the labile iron pool, ranging in concentration from 0.7 mM to 3.6 mM. [25]
Iron overload (also known as haemochromatosis or hemochromatosis) is the abnormal and increased accumulation of total iron in the body, leading to organ damage. [1] The primary mechanism of organ damage is oxidative stress, as elevated intracellular iron levels increase free radical formation via the Fenton reaction.
Diagnosis is based upon identification of symptoms, medical history, family history, and laboratory tests. Blood tests may show high levels of ferritin and low, normal, or high levels of transferrin saturation, depending on the form of hemochromatosis. The diagnosis must be confirmed by genetic testing for SLC40A1 mutations. [14]
The ferritin levels measured usually have a direct correlation with the total amount of iron stored in the body. However, ferritin levels may be artificially high in cases of anemia of chronic disease, where ferritin is elevated in its capacity as an inflammatory acute phase protein and not as a marker for iron overload. [citation needed]
Serum ferritin is a low cost, readily available, and minimally invasive method for assessing body iron stores. However, the major problem with using it as an indicator of hemosiderosis is that it can be elevated in a range of other medical conditions unrelated to iron levels including infection, inflammation, fever, liver disease, renal disease ...
The typical constellation of findings is indicative: The patients show a postprandial non-responsive and too low and static transferrin level (hypotransferrinemia) with high transferrin saturation (usually > 55 %) and low ferritin value. Multiple tests are obligatory due to physiologically induced fluctuations.
Iron supplements, also known as iron salts and iron pills, are a number of iron formulations used to treat and prevent iron deficiency including iron deficiency anemia. [11] [12] For prevention they are only recommended in those with poor absorption, heavy menstrual periods, pregnancy, hemodialysis, or a diet low in iron.