The effect of iron deficiency and anaemia on women's health

Benson, Charlotte; Shah, Akshay; Stanworth, Simon; Frise, Charlotte; Spiby, Helen; Lax, Stephanie; Murray, Joanne; Klein, Andrew

Abstract

Iron deficiency and anaemia are global health problems and major causes of morbidity in women. Current definitions of anaemia in women are historic and have been challenged by recent data from observational studies. Menstrual loss, abnormal uterine bleeding and pregnancy put women at risk of developing iron deficiency which can result in severe fatigue, reduced exercise capacity and poor work performance. Iron deficiency and anaemia during pregnancy are associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including neurocognitive deficits in children born to iron-deficient mothers. Both iron deficiency and anaemia are common in women undergoing surgery but their association with poor outcomes remains uncertain. The enduring burden of iron deficiency and anaemia in women suggests that current strategies for recognition, prevention and treatment are limited in their utility. Improvements in our understanding of iron homeostasis and the development of new iron preparations, which are better absorbed with fewer side-effects, may improve therapeutic effectiveness of oral iron. Intravenous iron is efficacious for correcting anaemia rapidly but high-quality data on patient-centred outcomes and cost-effectiveness are currently lacking. Many recommendations for the treatment of iron deficiency and anaemia in national guidelines are not supported by high-quality evidence. There is a need for robust epidemiological data and well-designed clinical trials. The latter will require collaborative working between researchers and patients to design studies in ways that incorporate patients’ perspectives on the research process and target outcomes that matter to them.

Citation

Benson, C., Shah, A., Stanworth, S., Frise, C., Spiby, H., Lax, S., Murray, J., & Klein, A. (2021). The effect of iron deficiency and anaemia on women's health. Anaesthesia, 76(S4), 84-95. https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.15405

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 11, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 7, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 8, 2022
• Journal: Anaesthesia
• Print ISSN: 0003-2409
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2044
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 76
• Issue: S4
• Pages: 84-95
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.15405
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5293017
• Publisher URL: https://associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anae.15405
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Benson, C.S., Shah, A., Stanworth, S.J., Frise, C.J., Spiby, H., Lax, S.J., Murray, J. and Klein, A.A. (2021), The effect of iron deficiency and anaemia on women’s health. Anaesthesia, 76: 84-95. https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.15405, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.15405. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.