If iron deficiency is not treated it can become the underlying cause of other, more serious conditions:
Energy / TATT
TATT (Tired all the Time) is a common complaint made to GP’s by the British public with a survey showing that 20% of men and 30% of women admit to always feeling tired1. Clinical studies have long shown the positive impact iron supplementation can have on energy levels in target groups who are prone to iron deficiency. A recent study with 136 women published within the BMJ2, demonstrated that by taking an iron supplement, energy levels can be increased and general fatigue decreased.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a condition which involves unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings. Symptoms are often described by suffers as a burning, creeping sensation, feeling like an electric current, or as having itching bones. The symptoms usually occur at rest, such as when sitting, lying, or sleeping, and are only temporarily relieved by movement. 25-50% of patients with iron deficiency also suffered from RLS symptoms3, it has recently been confirmed that a likely cause of RLS is iron depletion in specific areas of the brain.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Research published in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine showed that 85% of children with ADHD had low iron levels whereas only 18% of children without the condition were low in iron4. ADHD affects between 3 - 5 % of the school age population and is generally estimated to be 3 or 4 times more common in boys.
1Cox, Blaxter & Buckle. Health and lifestyle survey carried out by the London Health Promotion Research Trust. 1997.
2 Verdon, F ‘Iron Supplementation for unexplained fatigue in non-anaemic women’ BMJ, 2003; 326:1124
3 “Restless Legs Syndrome” 17th Nov 2005, Juan Latorre, MD, Research Fellow, Department of Physical Medicine and Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research
4Konofal et al ‘Iron deficiency in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder’ (2004) Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.
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