Iron supplements: Treatment for anemia
Important labs in iron deficiency
- Serum ferritin concentrations closely correlate with total body iron
stores. The normal range in most laboratories is 30 to 300 ng/mL; the
mean serum ferritin level is 88 ng/mL in men and 49 ng/mL in women.
Low concentrations (<12 ng/mL) are specific for iron deficiency.
- Iron is stored in cells and plasma as ferritin (700 mg) and hemosiderin
(300 mg).
- Body Iron Requirement: is about 3.5 g in healthy men and 2.5 g in
healthy women.
- Nonpharmacological: Iron absorption is best when food contains heme
iron (e.g., meat). Ascorbic acid is the only common food element that
increases nonheme iron absorption.
- Causes of Iron Deficiency: Two-thirds (2/3) of body iron is in circulating
red blood cells as haemoglobin. 1g of hemoglobin contains 3.47 mg of
iron; thus, 1 mL of blood lost from the body (hemoglobin, 15 g/dL) results
in a loss of 0.5 mg of iron.
- Normally, anemia should be corrected within two months.
- The most economical and effective medication in the treatment of iron
deficiency anemia is oral ferrous iron salts.
- A typical initial dosage is 60 mg of elemental iron given one or two
times per day.
- For adults, the recommended daily dosage of oral iron products is 2
to 3 mg/kg of elemental iron (divided into three doses).
- Elemental iron is the amount of active iron available for absorption.
For example, 325 mg of ferrous sulfate contains only 65 mg of
elemental iron.
Important labs in iron deficiency
- Serum ferritin concentrations closely correlate with total body iron
stores. The normal range in most laboratories is 30 to 300 ng/mL; the
mean serum ferritin level is 88 ng/mL in men and 49 ng/mL in women.
Low concentrations (<12 ng/mL) are specific for iron deficiency.
- Iron is stored in cells and plasma as ferritin (700 mg) and hemosiderin
(300 mg).
- Body Iron Requirement: is about 3.5 g in healthy men and 2.5 g in
healthy women.
- Nonpharmacological: Iron absorption is best when food contains heme
iron (e.g., meat). Ascorbic acid is the only common food element that
increases nonheme iron absorption.
- Causes of Iron Deficiency: Two-thirds (2/3) of body iron is in circulating
red blood cells as haemoglobin. 1g of hemoglobin contains 3.47 mg of
iron; thus, 1 mL of blood lost from the body (hemoglobin, 15 g/dL) results
in a loss of 0.5 mg of iron.
- Normally, anemia should be corrected within two months.
- The most economical and effective medication in the treatment of iron
deficiency anemia is oral ferrous iron salts.
- A typical initial dosage is 60 mg of elemental iron given one or two
times per day.
- For adults, the recommended daily dosage of oral iron products is 2
to 3 mg/kg of elemental iron (divided into three doses).
- Elemental iron is the amount of active iron available for absorption.
For example, 325 mg of ferrous sulfate contains only 65 mg of
elemental iron.
