Anemia ferropénica. Enfermedades por depósito de hierro

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia worldwide, especially in women of childbearing age, due to gynecological losses or during pregnancy, and in older adult patients, in whom it is often the first sign of a digestive tract disease. Clinical suspicion begins with the detection of abnormalities in the blood count, such as microcytosis, and is confirmed by determining analytical parameters related to iron metabolism, such as serum ferritin. A diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia requires an investigation into its causes, as it may be the first sign of a major underlying disease such as a neoplasm. Treatment consists of managing the underlying disease and daily fasting oral iron supplementation. This may pose problems of tolerance and adherence. In such cases, or if there is malabsorption, the intravenous route may be used. On the other hand, excess iron can have equally deleterious effects due to deposits in various organs such as the heart or liver. Its main causes are hemochromatosis and hematologic diseases with ineffective hematopoiesis. Treatment consists of phlebotomy or iron chelation.