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"Too little iron can cause iron deficiency anemia," Dr. Cox continued. "Anemia can lead to complications, such as heart attack or stroke , due to decreased oxygen delivery and blood volume."
While not the cause, iron deficiency can be a sign of some serious health problems, such as bleeding in the digestive tract, or even colorectal cancer, Ardehali said.
Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Iron is present in all cells in the human body and has several vital functions, such as carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs as a key component of the hemoglobin protein, acting as a transport medium for electrons within the cells in the form of cytochromes, and facilitating oxygen ...
Iron deficiency can also cause shortness of breath, and amplify the symptoms of any chronic condition, such as depression. It can also have an affect on your mood, ability to focus and sleep quality .
Once iron deficiency anemia is confirmed, gastrointestinal blood loss is presumed to be the cause until proven otherwise since it can be caused by an otherwise asymptomatic colon cancer. The initial evaluation must include esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy to evaluate for cancer or bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract.
A disease called Plummer–Vinson syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes a long-term iron deficiency, may also lead to hypopharyngeal cancer. Other factors like a deficiency in certain vitamins also appear to contribute to this type of cancer. [1]
One possible cause: iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). About 3 million Americans have anemia, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and those are just the people who ...
Iron-deficiency anemia: D50: 6947: Iron-deficiency anemia (or iron deficiency anaemia) is a common anemia that occurs when iron loss (often from intestinal bleeding or menses) occurs, and/or the dietary intake or absorption of iron is insufficient. In such a state, hemoglobin, which contains iron, cannot be formed. [5]