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Your iron counts

1 IN 2 HEALTHY SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN ARE IRON DEFICIENT9

You may be one of them

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS?

  • Shortness of breath1
  • Unusual cravings for non-food items such as dirt and ice1
  • Cold intolerance2
  • Restless leg syndrome4
  • Decreased exercise performance3
  • Paleness1
  • Ulcers in your mouth5
  • Brittle or spoonedshaped nails4,7
  • Fatigue1,4
  • Headaches1
  • Hair loss4
  • Dizziness, irritability and loss of concentration1,6
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Speak to your doctor. Iron deficiency needs to be diagnosed by a blood test. If you experience any of these signs or symptoms you may be suffering from iron deficiency (ID)

1 IN 2 SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN ARE IRON DEFICIENT

A lack of iron could leave you feeling tired
Your body needs iron to produce a substance called haemoglobin.9,10 Haemoglobin is formed in your red blood cells and carries oxygen to your organs.11 If your body has a lack of oxygen, you can feel tired and out of breath.1 Iron is also important for the production of energy in cells and as a component of enzymes.9-11

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CAUSES OF IRON DEFICIENCY (ID) INCLUDE:

  • Lack of iron in the diet1,12
  • Blood loss1,12
  • Your body may not be able to absorb the iron from the food you eat1,12
  • Increased needs1,12
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If you fall within any of these groups, you may be iron deficient 

WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE

Menstruation
• During each menstrual cycle you lose blood, which contains iron. If the amount of iron in your diet does not match what is lost, you could become iron deficient.1,12
Pregnancy
• Iron deficiency is common during pregnancy as pregnant women have higher iron requirements for the growth of the placenta and a healthy baby.1,12
Post-partum
• Iron deficiency is common after giving birth due to blood loss at delivery.13,14

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PEOPLE LIVING ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

• Iron is important for energy production and carrying oxygen to your muscles. If you have insufficient iron stores it will impact your well-being and athletic performance.3
• High-intensity exercise places you at an increased risk of depleting your iron stores.3

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LACK OF IRON IN THE DIET

Your body gets the iron it needs from the food you eat. Iron enriched foods include meat, eggs, leafy green vegetables and iron-fortified foods. If you follow a restricted vegetarian diet, you may have a greater risk of iron deficiency. 1

 

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IRON DEFICIENCY AND IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA?

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Iron deficiency can cause symptoms and impair quality of life, even
when fully developed anaemia is not yet present.4

TREATMENT VS. SUPPLEMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF IRON DEFICIENCY AND IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA

The underlying cause of ID and IDA should be treated to prevent further iron loss.
Guidelines recommend a dose of 100 – 200 mg elemental iron daily for the treatment of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia16-21
Supplements contain 24 mg or less of elemental iron

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ALMOST 42 % OF ALL PREGNANT WOMEN WORLDWIDE ARE THOUGHT TO BE IRON DEFICIENT22

Children in the first 5 years of life are especially
vulnerable to iron deficiency2

Almost 42 % of South African children are iron deficient23

Globally, 47 % of children under 5
years are anaemic24 WHO 1993-2005 study

50 % of anaemia cases are due to
iron deficiency24

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR IRON WITH FERRIMED® S.A.’S #1 PRESCRIBED IRON TREATMENT 8,25-28

  • Formulated to not overload the iron transport system and therefore it has a favourable side effect profile27
  • Is clinically proven to be effective in correcting iron levels, with fewer and milder side effects compared to ferrous iron supplements25-28

IF YOU ARE IRON DEFICIENT SPEAK TO YOUR PHARMACIST ABOUT FERRIMED®.  Available without a prescription.

 

 

Iron deficiency needs to be confirmed by laboratory tests

More Information
Download Printable PDF
  1. Mayo Clinic. Iron deficiency anemia. [Serial online] 2016 [cited 2021 Feb 12]. Available from: https://
    www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034?p=1.
  2. World Health Organisation. Iron deficiency anaemia. Assessment, prevention and control. [Serial online] 2001 [cited
    2017 Aug 1]. Available from: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/micronutrients/anaemia_iron_deficiency/
    WHO_NHD_01.3/en/.
  3. Peeling P, Dawson B, Goodman C, et al. Athletic induced iron deficiency: new insights into the role of inflammation, cytokines and hormones. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008;103:381-391.
  4. Auerbach M, Adamson JW. How we diagnose and treat iron deficiency anemia. Am J Hematol. 2016;91(1):31-38.
  5. Scully C, Shotts R. ABC of oral health: Mouth ulcers and other causes of orofacial soreness and pain. BMJ. 2000;321 (7254):162-165.
  6. Radlowski EC, Johnson RW. Perinatal iron deficiency and neurocognitive development. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:1-11.
  7. Cashman MW, Sloan SB. Nutrition and nail disease. Clin Dermatol 2010;28(4):420-425.
  8. Ferrimed® Impact Rx. May 2021.
  9. Phatlhane DV, Zemlin AE, Matsha TE, Hoffman M, Naidoo N, Ichihara K, et al. The iron status of a healthy South African adult population. Clinica Chimica Acta 2016;460:240-245.
  10. UCSF Health. Hemoglobin and Functions of Iron. [Serial online] [cited 15 Mar 2021] Available from: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/
    education/hemoglobin-and-functions-of-iron?p=1.
  11. Pourcelot E, Lénon M, Mobilia N, Cahn J-Y, Arnaud J, Fanchon E, et al. Iron for proliferation of cell lines and hematopoietic progenitors: Nailing down the intracellular functional iron concentration. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 2015:1853;1596–1605.
  12. Abbaspour N, Hurrell R, Kelishadi R. Review on iron and its importance for human health. J Res Med Sci 2014;19(2):164-174.
  13. Breymann C. Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. Expert Rev Obstet Gynecol 2013;8(6):587-596.
  14. Milman N. Postpartum anemia I: definition, prevalence, causes, and consequences. Ann Hematol 2011;90:1247–1253.
  15. Tussing-Humphreys L, Pustacioglu C, Nemeth E, et al. Rethinking iron regulation and assessment in iron deficiency, anemia of chronic disease, and obesity: introducing hepcidin. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(3):391-400.
  16. World Health Organization. Preventing and controlling iron deficiency anaemia through primary health care – A guide for health administrators and programme managers. [Serial online] 2001 [2021 Feb 17]. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/39849.
  17. Miller JL. Iron deficiency anemia: a common and curable disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2013;3(7):1-13.
  18. Short MW, Domagalski JE. Iron deficiency anemia: evaluation and management. Am Fam Physician. 2013;87(2):98-104.
  19. Pavord S, Myers B, Robinson S, Allard S, Strong J, Oppenheimer C, Goddard et al (UK guidelines) Br J Haematol. 2012;156:588-600.
  20. Ning S, Zeller MP. Management of iron deficiency. Hematology Am Soc Educ Program. 2019;2019(1):315-
    322.
  21. Alli N, Vaughan J, Patel M. Anaemia: Approach to diagnosis. S Afr Med J 2017;107(1):23-27.
  22. Pasricha SR. Anaemia in Pregnancy – Not Just Iron Deficiency. Acta Haemiatol. 2013;130:279-280.
  23. Muriuki JM, Mentzer AJ, Webb EL, Morovat A, Kimita W, Ndungu FM, et al. Estimating the burden of iron deficiency among African children.
    BMC Medicine 2020;18(31):1-14.
  24. de Benoist B, McLean E, Egli I, Cogswell M. Worldwide prevalence of anaemia 1993-2005. WHO Global Database on Anaemia. [serial online] 1993-2005 [2021 June 2] Available from: https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/micronutrients/anaemia_iron_deficiency/9789241596657/en/.
  25. Geisser P. Safety and Efficacy of Iron (III)-hydroxide Polymaltose Complex. Arzneimittel-Forschung 2007;57(6a):439-452.
  26. Ortiz R, Toblli JE, Romero JD, Monterrosa B, Frer C, Macagno E, et al. Effi cacy and safety of oral iron (III) polymaltose complex versus
    ferrous sulfate in pregnant women with iron-deficiency anemia: a multicenter, randomized, controlled study. J Matern
    Fetal Neonatal Med 2011;24(11):1347-1352.
  27. Yasa B, Agaoglu L, Unuvar E. Efficacy, Tolerability, and Acceptability of Iron Hydroxide Polymaltose Complex versus Ferrous Sulfate: A Randomized Trial in Pediatric Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia. Int J Pediatr 2011, Article ID 524520. doiL10.1155/2011/524520.
  28. Borbolla JR, Cicero RE, Dibildox MM, Sotres DR, Gutiérrez RG. Iron hydroxide polymaltose complex vs iron sulphate in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in infants. Rev Mexicana de Pediatr 2000;57(2):63-67.
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