Iron supplements can be beneficial for anemic patients, improving the quality of life for women with heavy menstruation, a new study finds.
Anemia and iron deficiency is very common in women who experience heavy menstruation every month. Over time, heaving bleeding during menstruation can lead to reduction in iron stores in the body. Previous studies have found that iron deficiency and anemia can impact women's physical performance, cognitive function, mood, and overall quality of life. A new study found that such women can benefit tremendously from iron supplements.
"The quality of life of women with heavy periods is plural, but the treatment of anemia is important to get good results," said Dr. Pirkko Peuranpää from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hyvinkää Hospital in Finland, in a press statement. "Our findings suggest that clinicians should screen for anemia in women with heavy menstrual bleeding and recommend early iron supplementation as part of the treatment process."
The study was conducted on 236 women treated for heavy menstrual bleeding. Researchers looked to see how iron deficiency and anemia impacted their quality of life. The participants were divided into two groups based on the level of hemoglobin in their blood. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen in the red blood cells. Those that had levels less than 120 g/L were defined as anemic and those with levels greater than 120 g/L were in the non-anemic group. Researchers also noted the levels of ferritin in the blood. This measurement gave researchers an idea of how much iron stores each woman had in her body.
Researchers noted that 27 percent of women were anemic at the start of the study and 60 percent had ferritin levels less than 15 µg/L, indicating a severe iron deficiency. The participants were randomized to either hysterectomy or treatment with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system such as Mirena.
One year of treatment resulted in the increase of hemoglobin levels in women from both groups, though women who were anemic at the start of the study still had lower hemoglobin levels. One year after the treatment, anemic women experienced a significant increase in energy, social and physical functions. However, it took five years of treatment for their hemoglobin to reach a normal level.
Iron supplements may be taken as capsules, tablets, chewable tablets, and liquids. The most common tablet size is 325 mg (ferrous sulfate). At high doses, iron is toxic. For adults and children ages 14 and up, the upper limit -- the highest dose that can be taken safely -- is 45 mg a day. Children under 14 should not take more than 40 mg a day.
Iron can also be attained naturally from food like meat, fish, spinach, broccoli, dried fruits, nuts, beans, lentils and peas.
Findings of the study were published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology
