Title:Perspectives on Iron Deficiency as a Cause of Human Disease in
Global Public Health
Volume: 31
Issue: 12
Author(s): Geir Bjørklund*, Yuliya Semenova, Tony Hangan*, Joeri J. Pen, Jan Aaseth and Massimiliano Peana
Affiliation:
- Department of Research, Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana, Norway
- Faculty of
Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania
Keywords:
Iron, public health, global health, iron deficiency, iron fortification, children, pregnant women.
Abstract: Iron (Fe) is a necessary trace element in numerous pathways of human
metabolism. Therefore, Fe deficiency is capable of causing multiple health problems.
Apart from the well-known microcytic anemia, lack of Fe can cause severe psychomotor
disorders in children, pregnant women, and adults in general. Iron deficiency is a global
health issue, mainly caused by dietary deficiency but aggravated by inflammatory conditions.
The challenges related to this deficiency need to be addressed on national and international
levels. This review aims to summarize briefly the disease burden caused by Fe
deficiency in the context of global public health and aspires to offer some hands-on guidelines.