High-altitude residence increases dietary iron absorption in young women: a prospective stable isotope study in Peru

Blood Red Cells & Iron 2026 Open access

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Authors: Diego Moretti, Reyna Liria, Gabriela Burgos, Pornpimol Scheuchzer, Nora Barloggio, Christophe Zeder, Nicole U. Stoffel, Michael B. Zimmermann
DOI: 10.1016/j.brci.2026.100056
Cited by: 2
References: 36

Abstract

- Dietary iron absorption from biofortified potatoes is higher in high altitude residents than in matched sea level counterparts. - Our data suggests chronic upregulation of iron absorption at altitude occurs independently of the hepcidin-erythroferrone axis. Acute high-altitude hypoxia increases erythropoietin (EPO) and erythroferrone (ERFE), which suppresses hepcidin and enhances iron absorption to support erythropoiesis. Whether these responses to acute exposure persist in long-term acclimatized individuals remains unclear. We conducted a prospective comparative study in 80 healthy Peruvian women (plasma ferritin

Fields of Study & Subjects

Iron Metabolism and Disorders High Altitude and Hypoxia Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders

Publication details

Journal / source
Blood Red Cells & Iron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
2
Issue
2
Pages
100056–100056
Publication date
29 January 2026
Language
EN