Iron is a mineral that is essential for the formation of hemoglobin in red blood cells. It serves several vital functions in the body including carrying oxygen from the lungs to tissues. Iron deficiency anemia is a condition where the body lacks sufficient red blood cells due to low iron levels, preventing adequate oxygen transport. It is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide, affecting groups like infants, children, pregnant women, and menstruating women the most. Symptoms include fatigue, pale skin, and shortness of breath.

2.  Iron is a mineral needed by our bodies and it
is one of the most common elements in the
Earth’s crust.
 Iron has several vital functions in the body;
› Serves as a carrier of oxygen to the tissues from
the lungs by haemoglobin
› A transport medium for electrons within cells
› An integrated part of important enzyme systems
in various tissues

3. STRUCTURE OF Hb
 4 polypeptide chains
 Alpha-1& 2 chains
 Beta-1 & 2 chains
 4 haem groups
 Haem is made up of iron
& porphyrin
 4 iron molecules attached
to each haem groups
 Quaternary structure of
superimposed
polypeptide chains

5.  “Anaemia" usually refers to a condition in
which your blood has a lower than normal
number of red blood cells.
 Iron is an essential mineral that is needed to
form hemoglobin, an oxygen carrying protein
inside red blood cells.
 Iron deficiency anemia is a condition in
which the body lack enough red blood cell to
transport oxygen-rich blood to body tissues

6.  Iron is absorbed in the duodenum and upper jejunum by
enterocytes
 2 types of iron
 Haem iron (Fe2+ - from meat)
 Non-haem iron (Fe3+ - from plants)
 Amount of iron absorbed is regulated according to the
body’s needs
 Iron is transported by a protein called ‘transferrin’
 Transferrin transports iron to the erythroblast mitochondria
for the synthesis of ‘haem’.
 Iron is stored in 2 forms; ferritin & hemosiderin in the bone
marrow, liver and spleen.

7.  DMT-1: divalent metal
transporter-1
 Ferroportin: controls the
export of iron into the
portal plasma and
transport it into the blood
circulation
 Ferrireductase: converts
iron from Fe3+ to Fe2+
state
 Ferrioxidase: converts
Fe2+ back to Fe3+
 Hepcidin: inhibits the
activity of ferroportin

8.  Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common
nutritional deficiency worldwide affecting 1.3
billion people
 The prevalence of IDA in the United States
varies widely by age, sex, and race
 Infants, toddlers, pregnant women and
menstruating women are mostly affected

9. WHO region Children
(6-59 months)
Menstruating
women (15-49yrs)
Pregnant women
(15-49yrs)
African region 32% 41% 44%
Region of the Americas 56% 55% 60%
South-East Asia region 41% 45% 47%
European region 54% 55% 62%
Eastern Mediterranean
region
38% 45% 49%
Western Pacific region 64% 59% 61%
Table 1: Estimated percentage (95% CI) of anaemia due to iron deficiency
(2010)

10.  Inadequate iron intake
› Vegetarians
› Tea-toast type feeding (old age)
 Increased demands
› Pregnancy or blood loss due to menstruation
› Internal bleeding
› Rapid growth
› Lactation
 Inability to absorb iron
› Gastric surgery
› Celiac disease

11.  General fatigue
 Weakness
 Pale skin
 Shortness of breath
 Dizziness
 Strange cravings to eat items that
aren’t food, such as dirt, ice, or clay
 Tingling or crawling feeling in the legs
 Tongue swelling or soreness
(glossitis)
 Cold hands and feet
 Fast or irregular heartbeat
 Brittle/spoon nails
 Headaches
 Jaundice
 Angular stomatitis
 Enlarged spleen
 Iron deficiency anaemia can lead to;
› Decreased work & school
performance
› Slow cognitive & social
development during childhood
› Difficulty maintaining body
temperature
› Decreased immune function, etc

12.  Women of childbearing age
 Pregnant women
 People with poor diets
 People who donate blood frequently
 Infants and children
 vegetarians

13.  Iron deficiency anaemia can become severe
and lead to health problems;
Heart problems: enlarged heart or heart failure
Problems during pregnancy: premature births
and low birth weight babies
Growth problems: delayed growth and
development, increased risk to infections

14.  Iron required depends on sex and age;
 Male 1 mg
 Women in repr.age 2-3 mg
 Pregnant 3-4 mg
 Infants & toddlers 1-3mg
 Children 8mg

15.  COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT:
› Hb,Htc,RBC:Low
› MCV,MCH,MCHC:Low
› RDW: High
› Retics: Normal/Low
› Plt:Normal/Low/High
› WBC:Normal/Low
 Smear:Hypochromia,anisocytosis,microc
ytosis, poikilocytosis

16.  Serum Iron:  (N: 60 – 180 μg/dL)
 TIBC:  (250 - 430 μg/dL)
 Serum Ferritin:  (N:Female;10-150 μg/L,
Male;29-248 μg/L)
 Transferrin saturation (Fe/TIBC):  (<15%)
<5%:definitely indicates iron deficiency
 Serum Transferrin Receptor: 
 Free Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin:  (17 – 27
μg/dL)
 Bone marrow :
› Erythroid hyperplasia,
› Absence of hemosiderin

17.  Microcytic anemias
› Iron deficiency anemia
› Thalassemia
› Sideroblastic anemia
› Lead poisoning
› Anemia of chronic diseases

18. Iron
deficiency
Chronic
disease
Thalassemia
Siderobl.
anaemia
Lead
poisoning

19.  Oral iron therapy
› Iron supplements – ferrous sulfate (iron salts)
› Iron tablets with vitaminC
 ferrous sulfate
 Gluconate
 fumarate
 Parenteral iron therapy
 Foods rich in iron and vitamin C

21.  http://www.namrata.co/case-study-iron-deficiency-anemia/
 http://www.hematology.org/Fellows/Case-Studies/733.aspx
 https://www.ebi.ac.uk/interpro/potm/2005_10/Page1.htm
 http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/hemoglobin/hemoglobh.htm
 http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology-and-
oncology/anemias-caused-by-deficient-erythropoiesis/iron-deficiency-anemia
 http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/202333-overview#showall
 http://www.austincc.edu/emeyerth/hemoglob.htm
 http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/1biochem/blood3.htm
l
 https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/the-
respiratory-system-39/transport-of-gases-in-human-bodily-fluids-222/transport-
of-oxygen-in-the-blood-841-12086/
 http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7431
 http://www.medicinenet.com/iron_and_iron_deficiency/page4.htm#how_is_iron
_deficiency_detected