A 72-year-old woman was brought to the emergency room after a severe “deficiency” caused clots to form in both lungs.
Every year, thousands of people in the UK are diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Although it causes only minor symptoms in the legs, the condition can be fatal if the clot travels and travels to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE). According to several studies, the world’s most common nutrient deficiency may be a risk factor for these blood clotting events.
In 2012, a study published in Cureus assessed the association between iron deficiency anemia and recurrent PE and DVT.
The journal states: “Iron deficiency, the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, is often associated with reactive thrombocytosis, which can cause a hypercoagulable state.”
A hypercoagulable state is an imbalance of proteins and cells responsible for the formation of blood clots, which leads to thickening of the blood.
The factors that cause this reaction are varied, but usually include dehydration and medical conditions.
READ MORE: Asthenia Is The Telltale Sign Of Iron Deficiency – Other Symptoms To Look Out For
As an example, Kureus cited the case of a 72-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with complaints of dizziness and shortness of breath.
On examination, the patient was found to be severely anemic and was admitted to the intensive care unit, where tests confirmed the presence of blood clots in both her lungs.
“This case serves as a reminder that iron deficiency is an important risk factor for venous thromboembolism that should be considered in patient evaluation,” the authors of the case study note.
However, it remains unclear how iron deficiency contributes to clotting complications.
A previous study by Imperial College London on patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia shed light on this issue.
Hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an inherited condition that affects the blood vessels and causes excessive bleeding from the nose and intestines.
In their study, the researchers found that lower blood iron levels were a strong risk factor for blood clots and that patients who took supplements were not at higher risk.
The link between iron levels and blood clots in the study appears to depend on factor VIII, a protein that promotes normal blood clotting.
READ MORE: Vitamin B12 and Iron Deficiency Slows Human Growth
“High levels of factor VIII in the blood are also a strong risk factor for blood clots, and low iron levels are strongly associated with high levels of factor VIII,” explains Science Daily.
Risk factors for iron deficiency
It is not known for certain that many people in the UK are iron deficient, Holland and Barrett said, possibly because symptoms can be ignored or mistaken for another condition.
“But some factors may make low iron levels more likely.”
Some risk factors include not getting enough iron from the diet, pregnancy, or loss of large amounts of blood, such as from heavy periods or stomach ulcers.
It is important to note that people who do not have anemia may have suboptimal iron levels, making them feel exhausted and tired.
Numerous studies have shown that people with below-average iron levels have lower levels of overall health and well-being compared to women with no history of iron deficiency.
The faster a person eliminates an iron deficiency, the less likely they are to develop anemia.
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