Study Finds 29% of Healthy U.S. Adults Had Absolute or Functional Iron Deficiency

U.S. adults found that 14% had absolute iron deficiency and 15% had functional iron deficiency, conditions that together affect nearly 30% of the group studied. The data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2017 and 2021.

The average age of participants was 48, and none had anemia, kidney disease, heart failure, or were pregnant. The study was published September 24, 2024, in JAMA Network Open. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducted the analysis.

“This is a common yet underappreciated public health problem,” said Leo Buckley, a clinical pharmacology specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. ” Doctors do not typically screen adults for iron deficiency, though they often check for anemia in routine blood tests. People can have normal red blood cell counts yet still experience symptoms from low iron.

Hematologist Dr. U.S. are running on fumes either because there isn’t enough fuel in the tank or because the tank isn’t connecting to the engine well,” Eisenberger said.

“This is an incredibly preventable disease,” he added. ” The biggest risk factor for iron deficiency is being female. Pregnant women need 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of additional iron. Low iron levels in pregnancy have been linked to long-term cognitive impairment in children, small size at birth, and early delivery.

Postpartum women are also at risk. Bleeding during menstruation can deplete iron stores, especially in those with heavy periods. Rates of iron deficiency become more similar between men and women after menopause.

Both women and men can develop functional iron deficiency if they have an inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, said Dr. Hossein Ardehali of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Vegetarian and vegan diets can also leave people short on iron.