Iron Deficiency Anemia associated with risk of stroke

2014-02-28 10:46:22

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common cause of anemia, affecting roughly two billion people worldwide.⁽¹⁾ It can cause low energy, weakness, frequent infections, dizziness, and can affect appetite, cognitive and motor development in the young. Though normally not thought of as a life threatening condition, a number of studies have found that iron deficiency anemia may increase risk of ischemic stroke. A recent study looked at data of 497 patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, a condition that puts them at risk of stroke by allowing clots to more easily travel to the brain.⁽¹⁾ Their data found those who were low in iron were more likely to experience a stroke, and that even moderately low iron appeared to double the risk of stroke when compared to normal iron levels. Platelets from those with low iron were also found to clot more quickly than normal. It follows other studies that have also shown a link between iron deficiency and ischemic stroke in both adults and children.^{(3, 4, 5)} A small case-control study published in Pediatrics assessed data in 15 previously healthy children without an underlying illness aged one to roughly three that were brought into the Hospital for Sick Kids due to a stroke.⁽²⁾ Their blood work was compared to that of 143 healthy children and found those with stroke were ten times more likely to also have iron deficiency anemia than their healthy counterparts. Iron deficiency accounted for more than half of all the stroke cases in these otherwise healthy children.